Manafort trial delay OK’d; 5 get immunity

WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Alexandria, Va., approved special counsel Robert Mueller’s request on Monday to grant immunity to five witnesses set to testify in the trial of Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III also moved the start of the trial from Wednesday to July 31, according to the office of the special counsel.

Ellis ruled that Mueller’s prosecutors must inform the defense team about nearly 30 witnesses that Mueller intends to bring to trial. He also granted more time for Manafort’s lawyers to review thousands of pages of data and documents turned over by Mueller’s office in the past several weeks.

The documents come from a firm that handled Manafort’s bookkeeping and the electronic devices of Rick Gates, his longtime business associate. Gates pleaded guilty this year and is expected to testify against Manafort.

Manafort has pleaded not guilty to charges of bank fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy.

The grant of immunity means that the witnesses can answer questions without fear that their testimony could incriminate them. The five who would receive immunity were identified as Donna Duggan, Conor O’Brien, Cindy Laporta, Dennis Raico and James Brennan.

Earlier this month, Ellis rejected the Manafort team’s request to relocate the trial to Roanoke, Va., saying Manafort could get a fair trial in the Washington, D.C., area.

The trial in Alexandria is the first of two that Manafort faces this year. Manafort