Thomson Reuters
- Paul Manafort, the former chairman of President Donald Trump’s campaign, has been accused of attempting to tamper with witness testimony.
- If the special counsel Robert Mueller has enough evidence to prove Manafort did what he has been accused of, there are three reasons it could strike a blow to his defense, and also spell trouble for Trump.
- A witness tampering charge, like lying to the FBI, can be used as evidence to show a guilty mind and may be “enticing to a jury,” said one former federal prosecutor.
- If a judge believes Manafort sought to hamper the criminal trial, they are less likely to side with the defense during potentially close calls in a hearing, which could prove disastrous for Manafort.
- And if a court revokes or restricts Manafort’s bail agreement in light of a witness tampering charge, it ramps up the pressure on him to cooperate — which also spells trouble for Trump.
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Paul Manafort, the former chairman of President Donald Trump’s campaign, has been trying to meet the terms of his $ 10 million bail agreement since he was first indicted by the special counsel Robert Mueller last October.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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