Paul Manafort appeared in federal court in Virginia Friday where U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III set his sentencing date for February 8th. Judge Ellis also dismissed the 10 counts remaining against Manafort after a jury had deadlocked on them during his August trial.
Prosecutors had initially favored waiting until Manafort finished cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election before addressing the remaining charges.
But U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis rejected the timetable so he could move forward with sentencing Manafort, who appeared in court in a wheelchair and was said to be suffering significant health issues.
“I have not heard any estimation from the government of when his cooperation will be complete,” Ellis said, referring to the special counsel investigation. “I’m not willing to go on endlessly” before sentencing Manafort, he added.
“There are significant issues about Mr. Manafort’s health right now,” defense attorney Kevin Downing told the judge. “A lot of it has to do with his terms of confinement.”
Ellis responded: “I’m not the judge who ordered those terms of confinement.”
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Downing asked the judge to expedite the pre-sentence investigation to help “get him out of the conditions he’s in now.” Downing didn’t specify why Manafort was in a wheelchair.
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Manafort pleaded guilty on Sept. 15 in Washington and has been cooperating with Mueller’s prosecutors as they attempt to determine if Russians worked with anyone in the Trump campaign to interfere in the election.
Ellis said he would consider granting leniency to Manafort either before or after his sentencing, depending on when his cooperation ends and whether prosecutors ask him to do so.
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Manafort has agreed to forfeit several New York properties, including a Trump Tower apartment and a sprawling estate in Bridgehampton, New York, along with other assets that fed an upscale lifestyle filled with custom suits and luxury cars.
He faces as long as a decade in prison in Virginia and another 10 years on the two conspiracy counts in Washington. If Mueller is satisfied with Manafort’s cooperation, he can recommend leniency to both judges.
Manafort in Wheelchair as He Gets Feb. 8 Sentencing Date (Bloomberg Politics)
Judge drops some charges against ex-Trump campaign aide Manafort (Reuters)