US President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort has been sentenced to 47 months in jail for tax fraud on Thursday.
Manafort's crimes were exposed during Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russia's role in the 2016 US election. This is the stiffest punishment given to an aide of the president in the probe. He is one of the six top aides who were part of Trump's presidential campaign to be charged in Mueller's Russia probe.
According to reports, Manafort asked for mercy but did not show remorse for his actions. US District Judge T.S. Ellis asked the Republican political consultant to pay a fine of USD 50,000 and restitution of just over USD 24 million.
Ellis also noted that the official guidelines for a prison sentence of 19 to 24 years was excessive, in response to calls for a harsher punishment. Prosecutors had not sought a specific sentence, but admitted that it was less than what even the defense lawyers had asked for. Ellis further said that the time served by Manafort, who has been in jail since June 2018, would be deducted from his sentence.
Manafort did not testify in court, and the testimony against him was provided by his former deputy Rick Gates.
Other aides of Trump who were charged in the Mueller probe are former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who admitted to lying to the FBI with regard to colluding with Russia, and Trump's ex-personal attorney Michael Cohen. Cohen also testified against Trump, admitting to tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and fraud.
Donald Trump has denied collusion with the Russians, calling the Mueller probe a “witch-hunt”, and Russia has denied any role in the 2016 presidential election.
