Manafort beats N.Y. fraud case

Paul Manafort won a lightning-quick legal victory Wednesday when a Manhattan state judge tossed his mortgage fraud case on double jeopardy grounds.

Judge Maxwell Wiley ruled after a hearing that lasted just a few minutes that state law does not permit the prosecution of the disgraced ex-campaign manager for President Trump because some of the same issues were adjudicated in his federal trial.

“This indictment should never have been brought,” said Todd Blanche, a lawyer for Manafort. “Today’s decision is a stark reminder that the law and justice should always prevail over politically motivated actions.”

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. vowed to appeal.

The decision came just a day after it was revealed Manafort (inset) has been hospitalized since last Thursday after suffering an unspecified cardiac event.

The 16-count New York indictment was largely seen as a hedge against the possibility that Trump might pardon Manafort for his federal crimes.

Wiley’s decision doesn’t affect Manafort’s federal prison sentence. He’s serving 7½ years for a string of financial crimes uncovered by former special counsel Robert Mueller. They came about over the course of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

Manafort’s lawyers argued that the state charges should be dismissed because they overlap in part with the federal cases that landed him behind bars.

In the brief Wednesday hearing, Wiley agreed.

“Basically, the law of double jeopardy in New York State provides a very narrow window for prosecution,” the judge said.