Paul Manafort plea in Washington 'highly unusual'



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TPaul Mueller in Virginia called the plea deal in the District to be dismissed Robert Mueller "highly unusual."

Judge TS Ellis II ordered prosecutors, Manafort, and his defense team to appear in his Alexandria, Va., Courtroom next Friday to address the status of the deadlocked counts and set a sentencing date .

Under the plea agreement reached last month, Manafort pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction charges, and also agreed to "cooperate fully and truthfully" with the special counsel's investigation. Thus, he avoided a second criminal trial in Washington.

In exchange, the special counsel agreed to a handful of other charges against Manafort in Washington, including money laundering and failure to register as a foreign agent.

In addition, Mueller's team agreed that "successful cooperation," the 10 bank and tax fraud charges on which the jury was unable to reach a verdict would be dismissed. A Virginia jury convicted Manafort on the eight bank and tax fraud charges in August.

Ahead of the Nov. 16, 2010, 14:20 AM Washington, DC Ellis said he wants to discuss the Washington agreement that would seek to dismiss the 10 outstanding charges in Virginia. The hearing is scheduled for 1:15 pm on Oct. 19 at the federal courthouse in Alexandria.

"This would be very unusual," Ellis wrote. "In this district, the government's decision to re-try a defendant on a guilty verdict is always made in a timely manner and sentenced to a guilty verdict."

Ellis explained that if Manafort is to continue cooperating with Mueller's team ahead of sentencing, and plans to cooperate after sentencing, the special counsel .

"This case appears to be in favor of cooperation and that cooperation is expected to extend beyond a scheduled sentencing date," Ellis said.

Ellis added that the "proper course of action" is to resolve the deadlocked counts by retrial or dismissal, sentence Manafort, and "resolve any motions related to the defendant's cooperation."

Ellis 'order does not immediately jeopardize Manafort' s entire plea deal, but it does have the potential to make a difference.

Earlier this week, the judge overseeing Manafort's Washington case formally ordered the forfeiture of his Trump Tower apartment and his home in the Hamptons in New York.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said in her order.

Mueller is investigating Russian election interference in the 2016 presidential election, and possible connections to the Trump campaign. He took over the investigation in May 2017.

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