Threats vs. Manafort’s trial judge
The judge in ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's fraud trial revealed Friday he has received threats and won't divulge the names of jurors out of fear for their safety.
U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis made the announcement before a packed Alexandria, Va., courtroom in response to a motion from a coalition of news outlets requesting he identify the jurors. Jury lists are typically public unless a judge gives a reason for keeping them secret.
“I've received criticism and threats,” Ellis said from the bench. “I imagine they would, too.”
The judge said he has an around-the-clock U.S. Marshal security detail because of the threats.
A spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed to the Daily News that Ellis is under protection, but declined to specify the nature of the threats against him or how many he has received.
Ellis said he has been surprised by the massive public interest in Manafort's trial on tax and bank fraud charges.
Manafort, 69, has pleaded not guilty to all 18 counts, most of which relate to his shadowy lobbying work for pro-Kremlin political forces in Ukraine.
The case against Manafort stems from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between President Trump's campaign and the Russian government. Manafort, who headed the campaign between June and August 2016, is the first person to go on trial as a result of Mueller's probe.
The jurors finished their second day of deliberations Friday without reaching a verdict. They are expected back in court Monday morning.