Manafort's plea deal includes cooperation agreement with Mueller

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico

The plea deal calls for a cap on prison time and dismisses deadlocked charges from an earlier trial pending cooperation with the Mueller probe.

By JOSH GERSTEIN and DARREN SAMUELSOHN 09/14/2018 09:35 AM EDT Updated 09/14/2018 11:33 AM EDT

President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has agreed to plead guilty in a foreign-lobbying and money laundering case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Manafort appeared in a Washington, D.C., courtroom Friday morning, looking relaxed in a suit and purple tie, to formally announce the deal. The agreement calls for a 10-year cap on how long Manafort will be sent to prison, and for Manafort to serve time from his separate Virginia and Washington cases concurrently. The deal also calls for Manafort to forfeit four properties and dismisses deadlocked charges from an earlier trial. But it will not release Manafort from jail, where he has been held since Mueller's team added witness tampering charges during the run-up to the longtime lobbyist's trial.

And Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann said dismissal of the previous charges against Manafort is dependent on him completing “successful cooperation” with Mueller’s probe into Russian election interference and whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Moscow on its efforts. Weissmann did not immediately expand on what cooperation is required under the deal.

Manafort addressed U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson in a soft voice, saying “I do” and “I understand” as she asked him whether he understood what rights he’s giving up. A deputy marshal stood directly behind Manafort, a reminder that he remains in custody.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/14/former-trump-campaign-chairman-paul-manafort-appears-to-reach-plea-deal-823882