New Manafort hearing ordered

Judge questions the terms of a plea deal and scheduled a new hearing for former Trump campaign chairman.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The federal judge who oversaw Paul Manafort’s prosecution in Virginia is questioning one of the terms of a plea deal that saved President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman from facing a second trial in the District of Columbia.

Calling the way the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election handled the remaining charges against Manafort “highly unusual,” Judge T.S. Ellis scheduled a new hearing Oct. 19.

The jury that heard Manafort’s case in August at the federal court in Alexandria found him guilty on eight counts of bank and tax fraud, but it deadlocked on 10 others. As part of his agreement to plead guilty to related crimes in federal court in D.C., Manafort admitted guilt to those 10 charges as well.

All of his criminal behavior stems from his years as a consultant in Ukraine. Manafort surreptitiously lobbied the U.S. government while hiding the millions he was paid for that work, then lied to get loans when his Ukrainian patron was forced out of office.

In exchange, prosecutors said they would dismiss the remaining counts at Manafort’s sentencing or when his cooperation with the government ends — whichever comes later.

The deadlocked counts, Ellis said, should be dismissed or retried now. It’s unclear how much effect Ellis’ order will have on Manafort’s sentence, but it disrupts a carefully constructed plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team. Peter Carr, spokesman for Mueller’s office, declined comment, as did Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni.