Former Trump aide breached plea deal by making false statements about dealings with alleged Russian operative
Paul Manafort lied about his interactions with an alleged Russian intelligence operative even after agreeing to cooperate with Robert Mueller’s inquiry, a judge ruled on Wednesday.
Manafort, Donald Trump’s former presidential campaign chairman, was found to have breached his plea deal by making false statements to the special counsel’s team, the FBI and a grand jury about his dealings with Konstantin Kilimnik.
The finding by US District Judge Amy Berman means that Mueller’s team is no longer obliged to endorse the lighter punishment that Manafort was promised for his crimes when he agreed to cooperate with investigators and tell them the truth. Manafort denied lying.
Jackson said Mueller’s team had established that Manafort lied about three disputed issues – his interactions with Kilimnik, a payment he took from a pro-Trump campaign group and another investigation that has not been identified.
She said Mueller’s team had failed to establish that Manafort lied on two other subjects – his recent contacts with Trump administration officials, and Kilimnik’s role in a conspiracy to obstruct justice for which they were both indicted.
