Manafort jury ends first day of deliberations

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Jurors in Paul Manafort’s trial sent the judge four questions, including asking him to redefine reasonable doubt. They also asked about foreign bank accounts. They will resume deliberations Friday.

Jurors began deliberations Thursday in the trial of President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who faces 18 counts of bank fraud and lying - and the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III sent jurors to begin their deliberations at 9:55 a.m., though he instructed them not to begin talking until all exhibits were brought to them, and all 12 members were present.

The jurors had requested to deliberate in their break room - which is slightly larger than the normal jury room – and Ellis said that would be fine.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys presented their closing arguments Wednesday.

“When you follow the trail of Mr. Manafort’s money, it is littered with lies,” prosecutor Greg Andres said during closing arguments to the six-woman, six-man jury in Alexandria, Virginia. “Mr. Manafort lied to keep more money when he had it, and he lied to get more money when he didn’t.”

As Andres spoke, slowly and dispassionately, jurors looked at him, occasionally scribbling notes in the black notebooks they have used throughout the trial. Manafort, wearing a blue suit, did not look at Andres or the jury while the prosecutor spoke.

In their final appeal to the jury, Manafort’s lawyers said it defied common sense for Manafort to cheat the IRS or banks when his net worth exceeded $21 million.