(USA Today)
Paul Manafort was sentenced Thursday to nearly four years in federal prison for cheating banks and the government out of millions of dollars, sparing for now President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman the prospect of being locked up for the rest of his life.
The prison sentence marks the end ofa stunning downfall for the longtime political operative who helped elect four Republican presidents, including Trump. He is among a half-dozen people in Trump's orbit who have been charged as a result of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible cooperation with the Trump campaign.
Manafort, who used his illicit fortune to pay for expensive homes and suits, arrived to hear his sentence in a green jail jumpsuit emblazoned on the back with the words "Alexandria inmate." He entered a packed federal courtroom outside Washington in a wheelchair, appearing thin, his hair grayer and holding a cane.
Manafort said he was "humiliated and ashamed" by his new circumstances.
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, who had been critical of Mueller's prosecutors, imposed the sentence Thursday evening. He said Manafort had committed “serious, very serious crimes,” but he also said that Manafort had “lived an otherwise blameless life and earned the admiration of many." Read more
Comments