The former boss of the Trump campaign on trial for bank and tax fraud

Paul Manafort, the former campaign manager of Donald Trump, will be Tuesday the first member of the presidential election team to go to trial on charges arising from the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race in the United States.

Manafort, 69, has been found not guilty on 18 charges of bank and tax fraud related to his lobbying activities in favor of the former Ukrainian government.

The indictment arises from the investigation conducted by the special prosecutor Robert Mueller on Russian interference in the last election race. United States, although the charges are unrelated to Manafort's performance as Trump's campaign director

The 12-member jury selection for the "USA vs. Manafort" trial begins at 10:00 am local time ( 14:00 GMT) in front of District Judge TS Ellis, in Alexandria, Virginia

The trial is expected to last about three weeks

Manafort, a veteran Republican political consultant, led the Trump campaign team for three months before being forced to take a step forward. cost due to his lobbying activity in Ukraine.

He is charged with five counts of misrepresentation for failing to inform domestic bank account service in Cyprus and other countries, in order to conceal millions of dollars of income. for his activities in favor of the former Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych

He is also accused of bank fraud related to several multimillion loans he has obtained from different banks.

Prosecutors plan to present nearly three dozen witnesses during the trial, including Richard Gates, former partner of Manafort, who cooperates with the accusers after pleading guilty to less serious charges in February.

He got the immunity of the prosecution to testify against Manafort

Mueller, former director of the FBI, has so far indicted a total of 32 people under the l 39; investigating alleged alleged collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia to help the New York mogul go to the White House.

Trump repeatedly called on Mueller's investigation into a politically motivated "witch hunt" and also denied any link in his campaign with Moscow to defeat the former Democratic candidate. Hillary Clinton

While Gates and others, including former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty, Manafort declined to engage with prosecutors.

– Waiting for a pardon? –

Legal experts believe that Manafort could wait to be found not guilty or obtain a presidential pardon.

Jonathan Turley, a professor at the George Washington University School of Law, believes that the chances of success of the former political leader The trial is not good

"C & # 39 is an exceptionally difficult case for the defense, "Turley told AFP.

"Mueller only needs to get his sentence for one of Manafort's prison charges for a decade." He said. "At 69, it must weigh heavily in his mind."

Turley also said that he believes that "jurors are unlikely to identify or empathize with Paul Manafort," whose wasted lifestyle is detailed in court documents. "You will see a man who spent half a million dollars just in gardening," he added.

"In addition, the government will give it a coup de grace" with the incriminating testimony of his ex-partner Gates. that Manafort could bet "on the strategy of forgiveness", because "he remained loyal" and "may think that he has not much to lose if he goes to the trial and keeps his chances of a presidential pardon ".

If you cooperate with Mueller, the likelihood of a pardon will be greatly reduced. "

Manafort spent last month in an Alexandria prison outside Washington DC after a federal judge revoked his arrest a $ 10 million domestic for allegedly manipulating witnesses in another case pending.

Manafort should be tried in September in the federal capital on charges – also filed by Mueller – of conspiracy, money laundering and not to register as agent of a foreign government.

Trump called the imprisonment of Manafort "very unjust" last June

"Wow, what is the sentence for Paul Manafor, who represented Ronald Reagan? , Bob Dole and many other prominent politicians and campaigns, "tweeted Trump on June 15." I did not know that Manafort was the leader of the mafia. "