BREAKING: Paul Manafort convicted by jury on multiple charges

A federal jury in Virginia convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on eight counts related to bank and tax fraud, making him the first campaign associate of President Trump found guilty by a jury as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe.

But after four days of deliberations, the jury told Judge T.S. Ellis III on Tuesday afternoon that it could not come to a decision on the ten other counts. A mistrial was declared on those counts.

Before the jury was dismissed, Ellis asked jurors if they wanted their names to remain confidential. All answered yes. The judge told them they are allowed to speak to the press if they choose.

The jury began deliberating last Thursday after a three week trial where prosecutors said Manafort hid income earned from political work overseas from the IRS while fraudulently obtaining millions in bank loans. Manafort, 69, had pleaded not guilty.

Manafort, who was stone faced throughout the verdict and has been held in jail during the trial, will be sentenced during a hearing on Aug. 29.

The government has until then to decide whether they will move to retry the 10 counts deadlocked on by the jury.

After the verdict, Manafort’s wife declined to answer shouted questions as she left the courthouse.

Earlier Tuesday, the 12-member jury signaled difficulty reaching consensus on at least one count.

In a note passed to Ellis, the jury asked: “If we cannot come to consensus on a single count…what does that mean for the final verdict?”

Ellis responded that this would not be “exceptional” and said the jury could reach a “partial verdict.”

Defense attorney Kevin Downing asked Ellis if he would tell the jury they have a third option – “hung jury” — on each of these counts. The prosecution objected to that plan and Ellis agreed.

The whirlwind trial is the first to result from Mueller’s ongoing investigation into Russian election meddling, although Manafort’s prosecution does not relate to any election interference or alleged collusion by the Trump team with Russian officials.

Manafort entered the courtroom earlier Tuesday morning looking upbeat. Manafort patted a couple of his lawyers on the shoulder and acknowledged his wife Kathleen, sitting in the front row, with a wink.

 

Read more: FoxNews