Manafort trial - LIVE: Uzo Asonye tells jury former Trump official 'paid for $15,000 ostrich jacket' and other lavish items using expenses
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The trial of former Donald Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort begins on Tuesday with the lobbyist accused of tax evasion and bank fraud.
Charges against Mr Trump’s former aide have been brought as a result of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
However, while that investigation focuses on potential meddling by Moscow in the US democratic system, Mr Manafort’s trial will focus more on his dealings in Ukraine, with brief mentions of the election race.
It may however produce politically damaging headlines for the Mr Trump, as the dealings of a man who ran his presidential campaign for three months are picked over in public.
Mr Manafort has denied the charges, but has been warned he could spend the rest of his life behind bars if found guilty.
Prosecutors have lined up 35 witnesses and more than 500 pieces of evidence they believe will show the lobbyist earned more than $60m (£47m) from his Ukrainian dealings, while concealing a “significant percentage” from the IRS.
He may yet face a further trial in Washington this September on charges relating to possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.
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During the current trial, jurors are expected to see photographs of Mr Manafort’s Mercedes-Benz and of his Hampton property putting green and swimming pool.
There is likely to be testimony, too, about tailored Beverly Hills clothing, high-end antiques, rugs and art and New York Yankees seasons tickets.
The luxurious lifestyle was funded by Mr Manafort's political consulting for the pro-Russian Ukrainian political party of Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed as Ukraine's president in 2014.
Lawyers have tangled over how much jurors will hear of his overseas political work, particularly about his ties to Russia and other wealthy political figures.
Mr Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly sought to play down Mr Manafort's connection to the president, yet the trial won't be entirely without references to the campaign.
Mr Mueller's team says Mr Manafort's position in the Trump campaign is relevant to some of the bank fraud charges.
Prosecutors plan to present evidence that a chairman of one of the banks allowed Manafort to file inaccurate loan information in exchange for a job on the campaign and the promise of a job in the Trump administration that never materialised.
Here is a breakdown of the charges Mr Manafort faces, a total of 32 counts:
- 16 counts related to filing false individual income tax returns,
- 7 counts of failure to report foreign bank and financial accounts
- 5 counts of bank fraud conspiracy
- 4 counts of bank fraud
The Associated Press has reported dozens of potential jurors are packed into the courtroom to face questions from the judge and lawyers about whether they can be fair and impartial
It said Mr Manafort, who is in custody, sat quietly with his defence lawyers. He was dressed in a suit, not jail attire.
If Mr Manafort is found guilty the 69-year-old could spend the rest of his life in prison.
The bank fraud charges alone carry a maximum sentence of 270 years total, filing false tax returns may result in a maximum of 15 years, and on the charges related to a failure to report foreign bank and financial accounts he faces up to 20 years.
Even the minimum sentences, to be determined at the discretion of Judge TS Ellis in the Virginia US District Court, are four to five years on the bank fraud charges and eight to 10 years on the tax-related counts.
Donald Trump's former campaign manager faces longer sentence guidelines in the Washington DC court case.
Prosecutors wrote he faced a range of 15 to 20 years for those charges, but that does not include the latest accusations of witness tampering levied at him by special prosector in charge of the Russia probe Robert Mueller.
FBI Special Agent Brock Domin, in a declaration filed with Mr Mueller’s motion, said Mr Manafort had attempted to call, text, and send encrypted messages in February 2018 to two potential witnesses from The Hapsburg Group, a firm he had worked with in the past when promoting the interests of Ukraine in the US.
Agents recovered telephone and text records from Mr Manafort’s iCloud account as evidence of his contact with the two individuals, Mr Domin said
There is a chance jury selection will wrap up today. Out of a potential group of 65 jurors comprised of 32 men and 33 women, 12 jurors and four alternates will be chosen, CBS News reported.
Potential jurors were likely asked if they have any affiliation with the US Department of Justice, the 2016 campaign team, or the current Trump administration.
Mr Trump has the ability as president to pardon Mr Manafort for any federal crimes should his one-time campaign manager be found guilty. However, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told journalists there have been no discussions on the matter as yet.
Judge TS Ellis has ordered both sides to stay away from referencing Russia as they present evidence over the next few weeks to jurors on the financial charges at hand.
Prosecutors - Mr Mueller's team - have lined up 35 witnesses and more than 500 pieces of evidence they say will show how Mr Manafort earned more than $60m (£45m) from his work for the Ukraine government and then concealed a "significant percentage" of that money from US tax inspectors.
It may difficult to navigate around the judge's rules, however, as the name Viktor Yanukovych may come up. Mr Manafort's work involved promoting the pro-Russian politician with close ties to President Vladimir Putin who then fled to Russia after Moscow's 2014 annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.
In an apparent effort to minimise the effect of politics on the trail, the judge has ordered both sides not to ask jurors for whom they voted in the 2016 presidential election.
But, talking politics may be inevitable in this trial as prosecutors are set to argue that Mr Manafort obtained millions in bank loans through fraud and they allege the timeline includes his months on the 2016 campaign.
The jury selection is complete and the members have been sworn in.
There are six men, six women, with four alternates comprised of three women and one man.
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