Manafort to cooperate with Mueller team

Prosecutor announces arrangement during a court hearing where Trump’s former campaign chairman pleaded guilty to two criminal charges to avoid a second trial |

Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, has agreed to cooperate with Robert Mueller’s inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election as part of a plea deal.

A prosecutor from Mueller’s team announced the arrangement during a court hearing in Washington DC yesterday morning, where Manafort pleaded guilty to two criminal charges to avoid a second trial.

Manafort has admitted to conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring to obstruct justice in return for other charges against him being dropped. A filing to the court by Mueller’s team indicated that Manafort would receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Last month Manafort, 69, was convicted of eight counts in a fraud case brought in Virginia by Mueller, the special counsel. The veteran Republican operative could be sentenced to several years in prison for those crimes. A further 10 charges, on which the Virginia jury was deadlocked, will be dropped as part of the deal unveiled yesterday.

The agreement brings an end to several weeks of negotiations between his lawyers and Mueller’s team.