Manafort seeks dismissal of some charges in Russia probe
ton, one of two federal dia effort during the 2016 race.courthouseswherehefaces trials this year, saying that Manafort made similar Mueller’s team simply claims of prosecutorial dusted off old allegations overreach in a separate civil related to his lucrative conlawsuit that is pending sulting work for the Kremagainst the government. But lin-backed government in the Justice Department orUkraine from 2006 to 2014. der appointing Mueller last
Defense lawyer Kevin May gave him authority to Downing asked the judge to prosecute “any matters that dismiss charges in Washarose or arise directly from ington because they “simply the investigation,” not just have no connection” to the charges related to the camTrump campaign or to pospaign or Russia. sible coordination between Once a prominent ReTrump’s aides and a Ruspublican operative and a sian hacking and social me- high-flying international Paul Manafort’s filing said some charges against him are an overreach by special counsel Robert Mueller.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has asked a federal judge to dismiss some of the criminal charges he faces, arguing that special counsel Robert Mueller exceeded his legal authority in bringing criminal cases unrelated to the presidential election.
Manafort filed a motion Wednesday night in U.S. District Court in Washing- consultant, Manafort faces five criminal counts in Washington and 18 more in Virginia for what prosecutors alleged was a complex scheme to hide tens of millions of dollars from U.S. tax authorities. The charges include conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and tax evasion through 2017.
Manafort has pleaded not guilty to all charges and rejected an offer to have the two cases consolidated in one jurisdiction. He is scheduled to go on trial in July in Alexandria, Va., and in September in Washington.
In an order made public Tuesday, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis found that Manafort was a “substantial” flight risk. He ordered him confined to house arrest.
“Given the nature of the charges against the defendant and the apparent weight of the evidence against him, defendant faces the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison,” Ellis wrote.