Paul Manafort President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman leaves the Federal District Court after a hearing in Washington. Manafort is asking a federal judge for leniency as he awaits sentencing in cri
Lawyers for Paul Manafort, U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, asked a federal judge in Virginia on Friday to hand down a sentence that is significantly below sentencing guidelines, according to a court filing. They also criticized Mueller's team, which had told the court ahead of Wednesday's sentencing that a greed-driven Manafort believed the law didn't apply to him. He was convicted of charges including tax fraud and bank fraud previous year. His attorneys argued in a sentencing memo filed Friday that the sentencing range of 19 1/2 to 24 years in prison is "clearly disproportionate" to his offenses as a first-time offender and given "the nature of the offenses".
Prosecutors accused Manafort of hiding from USA tax authorities $16 million he earned as a political consultant for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, money he used to fund an opulent lifestyle.
"The charges and associated publicity have brought intense, negative media coverage and scrutiny, have destroyed his career, and have resulted in financial hardship for Mr. Manafort and his family", they wrote.
This is the former Trump campaign chairman's second bid for leniency as he faces sentencing in two cases prosecuted by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.
United Kingdom primary care study finds overly long antibiotic courses
Overuse of antibiotics adds to increased antibiotic resistance levels, and puts patients at risk of side effects, they say. The average age of participants was 77 years, most (79%) cases were female, and follow-up was for 60 days after diagnosis.
"The Special Counsel's conduct comes as no surprise", the attorneys wrote, "and falls within the government's pattern of spreading misinformation about Mr. Manafort to impugn his character in a manner that this country has not experienced in decades".
Prosecutors, in a court filing on February 15, said Manafort deserved a sentence within the guidelines and a fine of between $50,000 and $24 million. They said he was a "relatively healthy 69-year-old man before he was remanded to custody in June 2018" but that his health had deteriorated. Although jurors could not agree on 10 out of 18 charges, Manafort later admitted full culpability while pleading guilty to related crimes in D.C. federal court.
They also said because of the exposure by the special counsel of "every aspect of his life" and the "severe damage" his professional reputation has suffered, Manafort "poses no future risk to the public of reoffending and specific deterrence for a soon to-be septuagenarian is not necessary under these circumstances".
Manafort's sentencing is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Alexandria, Virginia.
Recommended News
-
02 March 2019Technicals And Fundamentals:: Rio Tinto plc, (NYSE: RIO)
Some investors may trust professional opinions completely, but others may wish to dig in and do all the research themselves. The fund owned 48,300 shares of the mining company's stock after purchasing an additional 33,800 shares during the period.
02 March 2019Nikki Bella sees no future with John Cena
News the reality stars went on a weeknight date at Wally's Restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif. where they were seen sipping on wine and munching on appetizers.Tom Ballard: Drone search for missing climber delayed
Nanga Parbat is the world's ninth highest mountain and a number of deaths have earned it the nickname of "killer mountain". She died in 1995 aged just 33 during a descent from the peak of K2 in the Himalayas and her body has never been found. -
02 March 2019Pau Gasol to sign with Bucks after Spurs buyout
One such player is Pau Gasol, the legendary big man who has appeared in 27 games for the San Antonio Spurs this season. Because the Spurs and Gasol managed to reach an agreement ahead of the buyout deadline (Friday at 11:59 p.m.
02 March 2019'Masked Singer' Winner T-Pain Opens Up About His Win
While he's happy about proving to the world that he can sing without relying on an audio device, that doesn't mean he'll stop using Auto-Tune in the future.
02 March 2019Venezuelan vice president visits Moscow to rally support
He said that Russian Federation has delivered a humanitarian aid shipment to Venezuela and will provide more such assistance. He made the comment at a joint news conference with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who was visiting Moscow. -
02 March 2019Airbus, OneWeb aim for new satellite era with first launch
It plans to roll out 650 satellites across the world to connect schools, hospitals and other basic facilities. This is all part of the Rwanda Digital talent policy's drive to strengthen ICT capabilities in the country.
02 March 2019Convicted child killer strangled to death in his prison cell
He was reportedly killed by his cellmate, 38-year-old Raymond Pillado, who is now serving three life sentences for murder. Department of Corrections officials believed Palma was ultimately killed by his cellmate due to the nature of his crime.
02 March 2019Tom Cruise's Edge Of Tomorrow Sequel Is Moving Forward (Again)
Liman's Edge of Tomorrow brought in just north of $100 million at the domestic box office, and cleared $370 million worldwide. Producers on the sequel include Erwin Stoff , Tom Lassally , and Masi Oka , with Hisashi Sasaki executive producing. -
02 March 2019Taliban attacks US-Afghan base in Helmand
The Taliban said their fighters were engaged in clashes with U.S. and Afghan forces at the Shorab airbase in Helmand province. A local security official speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity confirmed the death of at least 25 Afghan troops.
02 March 2019MLB to test robot umps following agreement with Atlantic League
As for the type of rule changes Major League Baseball will test, the provisions are reportedly wide in scope. During those games, a former Major League Baseball outfielder voiced the calls made by the robot.
02 March 2019NASCAR is pleased with the new rules package
Keselowski received intravenous fluids in the track's infield medical center and vowed to complete all 500 miles. "It was awesome. The next restart came with 43 laps to go as Logano led Kurt Busch , but Keselowski quickly sliced through for the top spot.
