Paul Manafort trial tested Mueller, Trump: What to know about the case

close

Video

Paul Manafort guilty on eight of 18 counts: What to know

Former Trump Campaign chairman Paul Manfort has been found guilty in eight out of 18 counts of bank and tax fraud. The jury was deadlocked on the remaining ten counts forcing the judge to call for a mistrial on those charges.

Paul Manafort, a longtime political consultant who briefly led President Trump’s campaign, recieved his long-awaited fraud trial verdict on Aug. 21 — with the federal jury finding him guilty on eight counts. But the jury could not come to a decision on 10 of the counts.

The trial became a highly publicized showdown between the Trump administration and Special Counsel Robert Mueller over the past few weeks.

Manafort, 69, faced 18 tax evasion and bank fraud charges. He was accused of hiding a "significant percentage" of income earned from his Ukrainian work from the IRS. He was also accused of fraudulently obtaining millions more in bank loans, including while he was working on the Trump campaign.

Held in Alexandria, Virginia, this was Mueller’s first trial since his appointment to oversee the Russia investigation more than a year ago. It spanned nearly three weeks before jurors began deliberations.

The case didn't specifically address any alleged collusion between Trump officials and the Russian government. Trump has repeatedly called Mueller’s probe into such allegations a "witch hunt."

On the fourth day of deliberations, the jury sent a note to the judge signaling a problem with coming to a consensus on at least one count. 

Read on for a look what you need to know about the case against Manafort and the Alexandria trial as the jury continues its deliberations.

What were the charges?

Paul Manafort is charged in Virginia with hiding tens of millions of dollars from the IRS he earned advising pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The charges against Manafort did not relate to allegations of misconduct pertaining to the Trump campaign.

Instead, the trial focused on tales of wild spending, secret shell companies and millions of dollars of Ukrainian money flowing through offshore bank accounts and into the political consultant’s pockets.

The luxurious lifestyle was funded by Manafort's political consulting for the pro-Russian Ukrainian political party of Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed as Ukraine's president in 2014.

Along with his former business associate Rick Gates, Manafort was initially indicted in October 2017 on multiple counts that included: conspiracy against the U.S., conspiracy to launder money, false statements and failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

Manafort had maintained his innocence in all charges. Gates pleaded guilty to the charges against him.

Gates testified Manafort would fraudulently classify certain wire transfers as loans to reduce the amount of taxable income in a given year. Gates also said he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort and admitted to having had an extramarital affair.

On Aug. 21, Manafort was found guilty on some – but not all – counts in the bank and tax fraud trial.

What did it have to do with Russia?

This courtroom sketch depicts U.S. District court Judge T.S. Ellis III speaking to the lawyers and defendant Paul Manafort, fourth from left, in Manafort's trial on bank fraud and tax evasion at federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

Mueller’s investigation centers on collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians during the election – but this trial wasn't supposed to be about that

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III warned prosecutors about the current "antipathy" toward Russia in the U.S., saying "most people in this country don’t distinguish between Ukrainians and Russians."

How long could Manafort be in jail?

Manafort "faces the very real possibility" of life in prison, according to a federal court order.

What about the Trump card?

Manafort joined Trump’s presidential campaign in March 2016 to help wrangle delegates ahead of the Republican National Convention in Ohio – something he had done for former President Gerald Ford.

Two months later, Manafort was elevated to campaign chairman.

Manafort’s resignation from the campaign was announced on August 19, 2016, after The New York Times reported he'd received $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments from Yanukovych’s pro-Russian party between 2007 and 2012.

Trump has maintained Manafort was only with the campaign for a short time and has insisted he should have been informed of the investigation into him.

Observers have questioned whether Trump will pardon Manafort's crimes.

Is this it?

Manafort has a second trial coming up in mid-September. That trial, set in the District of Columbia, involves allegations he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the U.S. government.  

Fox News’ Alex Pappas, Gregg Re, Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.