The former boss of the Trump campaign on trial for a Russian plot | ELESPECTADOR.COM

The inquiry conducted by Russia's alleged intervention in the last presidential elections in the United States led to the trial of Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign director, linked to Russian oligarchs.

Paul Manafort, former campaign leader of US President Donald Trump, marks today the first trial of the prosecutor's investigation Special Robert Mueller on the alleged links between Russia and the current electoral team President

Manafort, 69, will appear today before Judge Thomas Selby Ellis III of the Virginia East District Court, in Alexandria, just outside of Washington.

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It is expected that at 10:00 am, local time, begins the selection of the members of the jury, although the magistrate has convened the parties an hour earlier to study A request for defense from Manafort, which requires that 50 tests on its activities in Ukraine are not allowed.

Manafort faces 18 charges of bank and tax fraud for failing to report the $ 75 million he has obtained to advise foreign leaders, including that of the former Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych (2010-2014), that he helped to improve his image.

Between 2006 and 2017, according to the prosecution, Manafort worked for Yanukovych and other governments without informing the government. (See more: Trump faces criticism and accepts Russia's interference in the 2016 elections)

The defense argues that the evidence relating to Ukraine is "irrelevant, "The Virginia lawsuit is to determine if Manafort has committed economic and not political crimes, which will focus on another lawsuit It will be held in Washington in September

The Attorney Team Mueller, however, believes that the evidence on Ukraine should be admitted because Manafort got a good chunk of his income ($ 60 million) from his work for Yanukovych and other Russian oligarchs.

According to the prosecution, Manafort has hidden up to $ 30 million in ghost companies and bank accounts in different countries. For these facts, could be sentenced in Virginia to a maximum of 270 years in prison.

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The lawsuit against Manafort is the result of the prosecutor Mueller's investigation into the hypotheses the links between the Kremlin and members of the Trump campaign for influence the elections of 2016.

The charges against Manafort are not directly related to the activities that he carried out as Trump's campaign manager between June and August 2016, although in that period he has maintained contact with several oligarchs near the Kremlin, as millionaire Oleg Deripaska, according to the prosecution.

The judge has on many occasions considered that Manafort is a figure of interest to Mueller because he could incriminate Trump. For now, Manafort pleaded not guilty and refused to cooperate with the prosecution.