Judge Tosses Manafort Plea Deal

The former campaign chairman for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign found himself in dire straights last night after a judge ruled he intentionally lied to prosecutors in violation of his plea deal.

BBC News reports:
 

In her ruling on Wednesday, Judge Berman Jackson said there was evidence that showed Manafort had lied about three different topics, including his contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian political consultant. Prosecutors claim Mr Kilimnik had ties to Russian intelligence.

However, the judge cleared Manafort, 69, of allegations that he lied on two other subjects.

The verdict means that Manafort – who has been held in a detention centre in Virginia since June – could now potentially face harsher sentences or have charges against him re-filed.

Last year, Mr. Mueller said that Manafort lied “on a variety of subject matters” after signing the plea deal.

Manafort’s voided plea deal included a prison term up to 10 years and the forfeiting of four of his properties and multiple bank accounts. However, deadlocked charges from his previous trial would have been dismissed.