Administration

Manafort faces maximum of 80 years in prison

Paul Manafort faces a maximum of 80 years in prison for his conviction Tuesday on eight charges of bank and tax fraud.

President Trump’s onetime campaign chairman was found guilty on five counts of filing false income tax returns, one count of failing to report foreign bank and financial accounts, and two counts of bank fraud.

Manafort faces a maximum of 15 years in prison for the tax fraud charges, a maximum of five years for the one charge of failing to report a foreign bank or financial account, and up to 60 years for the two bank fraud charges, which each carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years.

{mosads}Federal prosecutors said in a February court filing, however, that Manafort will likely only get eight to 10 years for the tax fraud charges, based on the federal sentencing guidelines, which are advisory.

Judge T.S. Ellis III could decide to sentence Manafort over or under the recommended range. Judges also often allow sentences for separate charges to run concurrently as opposed to consecutively. 

Ellis did not give Manafort a sentencing date in court on Tuesday. He ordered a pre-sentencing investigation report to be completed for which Manafort will be asked about his family history, education, work history, criminal history and health problems.

Ellis said he will then base his sentence on that report.

Ellis ruled a mistrial on 10 of the 18 counts Manafort faced after the jury failed to reach a unanimous consensus on those charges. Prosecutors could choose to retry them. Ellis gave the government until Aug. 29 to make a decision.

A major question looming at the conclusion of the case is whether President Trump will pardon his former aid. Manafort still faces a trial in the federal district court in the District of Columbia on separate charges next month. 

Trump has said he thinks that the prosecution of Manafort was unfair.