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WASHINGTON – Paul Manafort, former president of President Trump's campaign and one of Washington's largest lobbyists, is on the edge of pleading with federal prosecutors to avoid a trial scheduled for next week in Ukraine, familiar people with the case said Thursday.
Mr. Manafort has already been convicted of bank and tax fraud charges related to an investigation by the special advocate, Robert S. Mueller III. The plea bargain deals with a distinct set of seven counts, namely conspiracy, obstruction of justice, money laundering, misrepresentation and violations of the disclosure of lobbying.
It was not clear what charges Mr. Manafort could plead guilty to or whether he would cooperate with Mr. Mueller's team in his investigation into the Russian interference in the 2016 elections, a possible collusion with the Trump campaign and the Mr. Trump's obstruction.
His trial on the second group of charges is expected to begin Monday in Washington. A preliminary hearing, postponed this week, is scheduled for Friday.
Last month, a jury in northern Virginia found Mr. Manafort guilty of eight counts of financial fraud based on most of the evidence that prosecutors planned to present at the second trial.
He would also likely face more jurors in politically liberal Washington than in the first trial, held in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.
Any advocacy by Mr. Manafort would be another worrying development for a president who seems increasingly isolated and distrustful of members of his entourage.
For months, Mr. Trump congratulated Mr. Manafort for confronting Mr. Mueller instead of trying to negotiate a plea agreement.
Until now, four former Trump associates have pleaded guilty to charges related to the Special Advocate's investigation: Michael D. Cohen, long-time personal advocate of the President; Michael T. Flynn, former National Security Advisor; Rick Gates, former Assistant Campaign Chair; and George Papadopoulos, former campaign counselor.
Only Mr. Papadopoulos was sentenced; a judge last friday ordered him to spend 14 days in jail for lying to F.B.I. agents on his contacts with the intermediaries of the Russian government.
Mr. Manafort reassessed his legal risks after the trial last month. He was found guilty of eight counts of tax evasion, bank fraud and no bank account abroad, crimes that legal experts had predicted would result in six to twelve years' imprisonment .
Prosecutors approach the second trial as the first: with a wealth of documentary evidence and a series of witnesses who have worked with Mr. Manafort over the years. In the preliminary filings, they listed 2,127 potential coins.
The defense had planned to show that the special council had targeted Mr. Manafort because he had directed Mr. Trump's presidential campaign. But Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the US District Court for the District of Columbia had already pointed out that this argument was out of bounds.
Mr. Trump has come several times to defend Mr. Manafort. "Paul Manafort is a good man," he said after the Virginia jury had handed down his verdict. "It does not involve me, but it's a very sad thing." In private discussions with his lawyers, Mr. Trump proposed the option of pardoning Mr. Manafort.
It was unclear whether this possibility was in Mr. Manafort's mind. If he pleads guilty, his lawyers might argue that he deserves a lighter sentence for accepting responsibility for his crimes.
Kenneth P. Vogel contributed to the report.
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