Ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s lawyers have rested their case without calling any witnesses in his bank and tax fraud trial.<\/p>\n
A US judge also dismissed Mr Manafort’s motion to throw out all 18 charges filed against him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.<\/p>\n
This is the first criminal trial to come from the Department of Justice-led inquiry into alleged Russian meddling.<\/p>\n
Mr Manafort, who has pleaded not guilty, also declined to testify.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors, who rested their case on Monday, say the 69-year-old dodged taxes on millions of dollars he made lobbying for Ukrainian politicians.<\/p>\n
The surprise move from the defence team came on the 11th day of the trial and clears the way for closing arguments to begin on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
If found guilty on the fraud charges, Mr Manafort could spend the rest of his life in jail.<\/p>\n
His trial on charges of money laundering and illegal lobbying is due to begin in September.<\/p>\n
Mr Manafort is accused of laundering more than $30m (\u00a322m) and failing to disclose his lobbying efforts to the Department of Justice.<\/p>\n
On Monday, before resting their case, prosecutors revealed new emails showing Mr Manafort’s financial dealings.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors pointed out emails purporting to show Federal Savings Bank Chairman Steve Calk’s attempts to secure a job in the Trump administration through Mr Manafort.<\/p>\n
Mr Calk had earlier approved $1m loan for Mr Manafort, and had urged the bank to loan Mr Manafort millions despite concerns over whether he could pay back the money.<\/p>\n
The Washington Post<\/a>\u00a0reported numerous emails between the two men where Mr Calk sought “advice” on his petition to become US Secretary of the Army.<\/p>\n Among those emails is one to President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, where Mr Manafort recommended Mr Calk for the Secretary role.<\/p>\n According to\u00a0CNN<\/a>, Mr Kushner reportedly responded: “On it!”<\/p>\n Mr Calk was never nominated for a job in the administration, but served on the Trump campaign’s economic advisory council.<\/p>\n Mr Manafort led US President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign for several months in 2016, including in August when Mr Trump won the Republican party’s nomination.<\/p>\n He was charged in October 2017 as part of Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.<\/p>\n But most of his alleged crimes pre-date his time working for Mr Trump and instead centre on his consultancy work for Russian-backed Ukrainian politicians.<\/p>\n The New York Times reported that the Ukrainian government had uncovered ledgers pledging more than $12m (\u00a39.2m) in cash payments for his work as an adviser to Ukraine’s deposed pro-Russian former President, Viktor Yanukovych, when he was in office.<\/p>\n It has also been alleged that he secretly worked for a Russian billionaire to assist President Putin’s political goals in other parts of the former USSR. Mr Manafort denied the allegation.<\/p>\n Who<\/strong>\u00a0ha<\/strong>s testified?<\/strong><\/p>\n Rick Gates, Mr Manafort’s former right-hand man, struck a plea deal with prosecutors in February after admitting two charges of conspiracy and lying to the FBI.<\/p>\n He testified that Mr Manafort had directed him to lower taxable income by reporting overseas income as loans.<\/p>\n Gates also claimed that he had been ordered by Mr Manafort not to disclose foreign bank accounts in Cyprus.<\/p>\n Mr Manafort’s lawyers alleged that Gates engaged in illegal action without Mr Manafort’s knowledge.<\/p>\n But Mr Gates claims that the illegal money transfers had been done at his colleague’s request.<\/p>\n Accountant Cindy LaPorta – who was granted immunity from prosecution – also took the stand and was asked by prosecutors if she had been aware of a $10m (\u00a37.7m) loan in 2006 from Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.<\/p>\n She said that she had suspected Gates was misleading her about Mr Manafort’s finances.<\/p>\n But she said she was under the impression that Mr Manafort had been directing his deputies’ actions and “knew what was going on”.<\/p>\n Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What’s the background?<\/h2>\n