Former Trump campaign chairman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-ex-lawyer-michael-cohen-begins-3-year-jail-term-says-still-much-to-be-told-216528">Paul Manafort</a>, who was convicted of numerous federal crimes last year, is expected to plead not guilty on Thursday to residential mortgage fraud and other New York state charges, setting the stage for a showdown over whether those charges amount to double jeopardy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-ex-campaign-chief-paul-manafort-jailed-for-43-more-months-203163">Manafort</a>, 70, is scheduled to appear before Justice Maxwell Wiley of the state Supreme Court on Thursday at 2:15pm &nbsp;EDT (1815 GMT) to face an indictment with 16 felony charges disclosed by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance in March.

The charges include mortgage fraud, conspiracy and falsifying records related to Manafort's efforts to obtain millions of dollars in loans on New York properties between 2015 and 2017. He served as chairman of US President Donald Trump's presidential campaign for three months until August 2016.

Todd Blanche, Manafort`s lawyer, told Reuters his client would plead not guilty. Blanche said he planned to bring a motion to dismiss the case on double jeopardy grounds, given that the charges centre on mortgage applications to two banks that were also at issue in Manafort`s federal trial last year.

Under New York law, a person can only be prosecuted twice for the same act if it meets certain exceptions such as at least one element of the crimes is distinct and the statutes address "very different kinds of harm or evil." Vance's office will likely argue an exception to New York`s double jeopardy protections is warranted in Manafort`s case.&nbsp;

Manafort is serving a 7-1/2-year sentence for tax fraud, bank fraud and other charges stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s federal investigation into Russia`s interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Federal prosecutors accused him of hiding $16 million from US tax authorities that he earned as a consultant for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine and then lying to banks to obtain loans to maintain a luxury lifestyle.&nbsp;

The New York state charges have been widely seen as an attempt to ensure Manafort serves significant prison time even if Trump grants him a pardon, a prospect the president has not ruled out. US presidents have the power to pardon people for federal but not state crimes.

Manafort faces up to 25 years in prison in New York on the top state charges.&nbsp;

Manafort's legal woes in New York have attracted the attention of the US Justice Department, which earlier this month decided to keep him in federal custody while the state proceedings take place out of concern for his health and safety.

The intervention, which legal experts said was unusual and raised concerns of special treatment, ensured that Manafort would not be placed in New York`s Rikers Island jail complex pending trial.

Manafort was instead transferred to a federal facility in Manhattan on June 13 ahead of his arraignment. He had been housed at a low-security federal prison in Pennsylvania before the move.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was convicted of numerous federal crimes last year, is expected to plead not guilty on Thursday to residential mortgage fraud and other New York state charges, setting the stage for a showdown over whether those charges amount to double jeopardy.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was convicted of numerous federal crimes last year, is expected to plead not guilty on Thursday to residential mortgage fraud and other New York state charges, setting the stage for a showdown over whether those charges amount to double jeopardy. Manafort, 70, is scheduled to appear before Justice Maxwell Wiley of the state Supreme Court on Thursday at 2:15pm EDT (1815 GMT) to face an indictment with 16 felony charges disclosed by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance in March. The charges include mortgage fraud, conspiracy and falsifying records related to Manafort's efforts to obtain millions of dollars in loans on New York properties between 2015 and 2017. He served as chairman of US President Donald Trump's presidential campaign for three months until August 2016. Todd Blanche, Manafort`s lawyer, told Reuters his client would plead not guilty. Blanche said he planned to bring a motion to dismiss the case on double jeopardy grounds, given that the charges centre on mortgage applications to two banks that were also at issue in Manafort`s federal trial last year. Under New York law, a person can only be prosecuted twice for the same act if it meets certain exceptions such as at least one element of the crimes is distinct and the statutes address "very different kinds of harm or evil." Vance's office will likely argue an exception to New York`s double jeopardy protections is warranted in Manafort`s case. Manafort is serving a 7-1/2-year sentence for tax fraud, bank fraud and other charges stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s federal investigation into Russia`s interference in the 2016 presidential election. Federal prosecutors accused him of hiding $16 million from US tax authorities that he earned as a consultant for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine and then lying to banks to obtain loans to maintain a luxury lifestyle. The New York state charges have been widely seen as an attempt to ensure Manafort serves significant prison time even if Trump grants him a pardon, a prospect the president has not ruled out. US presidents have the power to pardon people for federal but not state crimes. Manafort faces up to 25 years in prison in New York on the top state charges. Manafort's legal woes in New York have attracted the attention of the US Justice Department, which earlier this month decided to keep him in federal custody while the state proceedings take place out of concern for his health and safety. The intervention, which legal experts said was unusual and raised concerns of special treatment, ensured that Manafort would not be placed in New York`s Rikers Island jail complex pending trial. Manafort was instead transferred to a federal facility in Manhattan on June 13 ahead of his arraignment. He had been housed at a low-security federal prison in Pennsylvania before the move.

Ex-Trump aide Manafort to plead not guilty in New York

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he felt very badly for his former campaign chairman, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ex-campaign-chief-paul-manafort-sentenced-to-47-months-in-prison-for-tax-crimes-bank-fraud-201865">Paul Manafort</a>, who was sentenced a day earlier to less than four years in prison for financial crimes uncovered as part of the US special counsel`s Russia probe.

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, also said it has been a tough time for Manafort, and said he was honored by the judge`s remarks at the Thursday sentencing.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I feel very badly for Paul Manafort. I think it`s been a very, very tough time," he said. "The judge - I mean for whatever reason I was very honored by it - also made the statement that this had nothing to do with collusion with Russia."&nbsp;

Trump reiterated his position that he did not assist Russia in allegedly interfering in the 2016 presidential election that he won, saying, "I don`t collude with Russia."&nbsp;

Russia has denied the allegations that it meddled in the election, which led to the investigation spearheaded by Special Counsel Robert Mueller that has ensnared Manafort and others in Trump`s orbit.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he felt very badly for his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who was sentenced a day earlier to less than four years in prison for financial crimes uncovered as part of the US special counsel`s Russia probe.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he felt very badly for his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who was sentenced a day earlier to less than four years in prison for financial crimes uncovered as part of the US special counsel`s Russia probe. Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, also said it has been a tough time for Manafort, and said he was honored by the judge`s remarks at the Thursday sentencing. "I feel very badly for Paul Manafort. I think it`s been a very, very tough time," he said. "The judge - I mean for whatever reason I was very honored by it - also made the statement that this had nothing to do with collusion with Russia." Trump reiterated his position that he did not assist Russia in allegedly interfering in the 2016 presidential election that he won, saying, "I don`t collude with Russia." Russia has denied the allegations that it meddled in the election, which led to the investigation spearheaded by Special Counsel Robert Mueller that has ensnared Manafort and others in Trump`s orbit.

Trump says he feels 'very badly' for former campaign chairman Manafort

Former Trump campaign chairman <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/paul-manafort-lied-during-interviews-with-prosecutors-robert-mueller-182331">Paul Manafort</a> could face a much longer prison sentence than expected after a Washington judge ruled Wednesday that he had broken his plea deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

Federal district judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed with prosecutors that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-manafort-pardon-not-off-the-table-interview-180174">Manafort had "intentionally"</a> lied to investigators about his contacts with a suspected Russian operative, Konstantin Kilimnik in 2016 and 2017, despite having pledged to cooperate as part of his September plea agreement.

Jackson also ruled that Manafort had lied about a secretive payment he made to a law firm, and lied on another occasion when investigators queried him about a separate, still secret investigation related to the Mueller probe.

The ruling meant that Mueller no longer has to abide by the deal, in which Manafort agreed to plead guilty to two reduced conspiracy charges, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

It could also elevate whatever punishment arises from the 69-year-old's guilty verdict in a separate jury trial last year in Virginia.

Mueller's side is "no longer bound by its obligations under the plea agreement, including its promise to support a reduction" in Manafort's sentence, Jackson said.

Theoretically, that could mean Manafort is also vulnerable to new charges, though prosecutors have indicated they want to move quickly to sentencing and not spend more time on the case.

The breakdown of the deal set back what had been seen as a major success of the 21-month-old Mueller probe in turning Manafort into a possible key witness against President Donald Trump, his family and other top aides.

Manafort is one of seven former Trump campaign associates who have been charged by Mueller's team.

He was convicted in August in a Virginia court on eight charges of banking and tax fraud related to his work for Russia-backed political parties in Ukraine between 2004 and 2014.

He was separately charged in Washington with money laundering, witness tampering and other offenses, which were consolidated into the two conspiracy charges in the plea bargain.

- 'Deep secrets' - 
The mostly secret arguments over the lying accusations in between December and February bared tantalizing hints at possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, the core of the Mueller investigation.

While he now faces spending possibly the rest of his life in prison, Mueller's team and analysts say Manafort may have lied to protect Trump in hopes of getting a pardon.

Telling the truth would have "negative consequences in terms of the other motive that Mr. Manafort could have, which is to at least augment his chances for a pardon," one of Mueller's prosecutors told the court.

"I think Paul Manafort is protecting deep, deep secrets that if he told them, would probably put himself and his family and the president, his best chance at a pardon, at risk," Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell told CNN Thursday.

In a November 28 interview with the New York Post, two days after prosecutors accused Manafort of breaking the plea deal, Trump left the possibility of a pardon dangling.

"It was never discussed, but I wouldn't take it off the table. Why would I take it off the table?" he said.

"You know this flipping stuff is terrible," he added about Mueller's efforts to get people like Manafort to cooperate.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort could face a much longer prison sentence than expected after a Washington judge ruled Wednesday that he had broken his plea deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort could face a much longer prison sentence than expected after a Washington judge ruled Wednesday that he had broken his plea deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Federal district judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed with prosecutors that Manafort had "intentionally" lied to investigators about his contacts with a suspected Russian operative, Konstantin Kilimnik in 2016 and 2017, despite having pledged to cooperate as part of his September plea agreement. Jackson also ruled that Manafort had lied about a secretive payment he made to a law firm, and lied on another occasion when investigators queried him about a separate, still secret investigation related to the Mueller probe. The ruling meant that Mueller no longer has to abide by the deal, in which Manafort agreed to plead guilty to two reduced conspiracy charges, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. It could also elevate whatever punishment arises from the 69-year-old's guilty verdict in a separate jury trial last year in Virginia. Mueller's side is "no longer bound by its obligations under the plea agreement, including its promise to support a reduction" in Manafort's sentence, Jackson said. Theoretically, that could mean Manafort is also vulnerable to new charges, though prosecutors have indicated they want to move quickly to sentencing and not spend more time on the case. The breakdown of the deal set back what had been seen as a major success of the 21-month-old Mueller probe in turning Manafort into a possible key witness against President Donald Trump, his family and other top aides. Manafort is one of seven former Trump campaign associates who have been charged by Mueller's team. He was convicted in August in a Virginia court on eight charges of banking and tax fraud related to his work for Russia-backed political parties in Ukraine between 2004 and 2014. He was separately charged in Washington with money laundering, witness tampering and other offenses, which were consolidated into the two conspiracy charges in the plea bargain. - 'Deep secrets' - The mostly secret arguments over the lying accusations in between December and February bared tantalizing hints at possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, the core of the Mueller investigation. While he now faces spending possibly the rest of his life in prison, Mueller's team and analysts say Manafort may have lied to protect Trump in hopes of getting a pardon. Telling the truth would have "negative consequences in terms of the other motive that Mr. Manafort could have, which is to at least augment his chances for a pardon," one of Mueller's prosecutors told the court. "I think Paul Manafort is protecting deep, deep secrets that if he told them, would probably put himself and his family and the president, his best chance at a pardon, at risk," Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell told CNN Thursday. In a November 28 interview with the New York Post, two days after prosecutors accused Manafort of breaking the plea deal, Trump left the possibility of a pardon dangling. "It was never discussed, but I wouldn't take it off the table. Why would I take it off the table?" he said. "You know this flipping stuff is terrible," he added about Mueller's efforts to get people like Manafort to cooperate.

Ex-Trump aide Paul Manafort lied 'intentionally' to investigators on suspected Russian operative: US judge

A lawyer for a US&nbsp;Treasury Department employee charged with leaking to a journalist confidential documents on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and others, said on Friday that his client was motivated by public service.

Manafort and his longtime associate Rick Gates have pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to cooperate in US&nbsp;Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;election and whether President Donald Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow.

Russia denies election meddling and Trump denies campaign collusion.

Prosecutors said Natalie Sours Edwards, a senior adviser in the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), leaked documents to a reporter that became the basis of articles about that investigation published by digital media company BuzzFeed.

"She saw things in her official capacity that she felt an obligation to bring forward," Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Sours Edwards, told reporters after a hearing in federal court in Manhattan.

During Friday's brief hearing, US&nbsp;Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn ordered that Sours Edwards may remain free on bail. She had previously pleaded not guilty at a hearing in Virginia, according to Agnifilo. She is currently on paid leave from her position.

Prosecutors said beginning in October 2017, Sours Edwards illegally disclosed so-called suspicious activity reports connected to Manafort, accused Russian agent Maria Butina, the Russian embassy and a unit of Prevezon Holdings Ltd, a corporation owned by Russian businessman Denis Katsyv.

Suspicious activity reports are submitted by banks to alert law enforcement to potentially illegal transactions.

Information from the disclosures was reported in 11 articles that appeared in BuzzFeed over the course of a year, prosecutors said.

Agnifilo said Sours Edwards shared the reports because "she believes that certain pieces of information were not being handled the right way and were not being brought to the attention of the people who should know it," though he did not give further details.

He said Sours Edwards had also spoken to committees in Congress and to other government agencies about her concerns, and that her contact with the media was a relatively small part of her efforts.

"It's been going on for several years," he said.

A lawyer for a US Treasury Department employee charged with leaking to a journalist confidential documents on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and others, said on Friday that his client was motivated by public service.

A lawyer for a US Treasury Department employee charged with leaking to a journalist confidential documents on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and others, said on Friday that his client was motivated by public service. Manafort and his longtime associate Rick Gates have pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to cooperate in US Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election and whether President Donald Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow. Russia denies election meddling and Trump denies campaign collusion. Prosecutors said Natalie Sours Edwards, a senior adviser in the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), leaked documents to a reporter that became the basis of articles about that investigation published by digital media company BuzzFeed. "She saw things in her official capacity that she felt an obligation to bring forward," Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Sours Edwards, told reporters after a hearing in federal court in Manhattan. During Friday's brief hearing, US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn ordered that Sours Edwards may remain free on bail. She had previously pleaded not guilty at a hearing in Virginia, according to Agnifilo. She is currently on paid leave from her position. Prosecutors said beginning in October 2017, Sours Edwards illegally disclosed so-called suspicious activity reports connected to Manafort, accused Russian agent Maria Butina, the Russian embassy and a unit of Prevezon Holdings Ltd, a corporation owned by Russian businessman Denis Katsyv. Suspicious activity reports are submitted by banks to alert law enforcement to potentially illegal transactions. Information from the disclosures was reported in 11 articles that appeared in BuzzFeed over the course of a year, prosecutors said. Agnifilo said Sours Edwards shared the reports because "she believes that certain pieces of information were not being handled the right way and were not being brought to the attention of the people who should know it," though he did not give further details. He said Sours Edwards had also spoken to committees in Congress and to other government agencies about her concerns, and that her contact with the media was a relatively small part of her efforts. "It's been going on for several years," he said.

US official felt 'obligation' to leak documents on Manafort, others: Lawyer

manafort

Manafort, News on Manafort, stories on Manafort, articles on Manafort, Manafort stories at Wion, Manafort news, Manafort latest news