Update: 4:02 p.m. Friday — In a move that could certainly spell more trouble for President Donald Trump, former campaign chief Paul Manafort pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate in the Robert Mueller probe.
Manfort pleaded guilty to two charges — conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring to obstruct justice.
“I plead guilty,” Manafort told U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson at a hearing Friday morning hearing in federal court in the District, according to the Washington Post.
Manafort admitted committing years of financial crimes to hide his money from the IRS and promised to tell the government about “his participation in and knowledge of all criminal activities.”
From Friday Morning
By Steve Neavling
Ticklethewire.com
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has reached a tentative plea deal ahead of his second trial, sources familiar with the negotiations told ABC News.
Details of the plea agreement with special counsel Robert Mueller is expected to be revealed in court today.
If approved, the tentative deal will head off Manafort’s second trial after a jury found him guilty of eight criminal counts in his first trial last month.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Manafort reached the deal in exchange for cooperation or just to avoid the stress and costs of another trial.
The second trial primarily involves work he did for pro-Russia politicians in the Ukraine and accusations of money laundering.
Check back for updates.
