Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) late Monday said that the allegation former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort attempted to tamper with potential witnesses in his trial is an indication he’s “facing some serious time.”
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“You can imagine in a case of this significance watched this closely the special counsel’s team is not going to do this unless they have pretty darn ironclad evidence that Manafort is trying to corrupt or co-opt these witnesses,” Schiff said on CNN’s “Cuomo Primetime.”
“So, it’s a big development and I think a sign that Manafort is willing to try anything, do anything, and he’s facing some serious time,” he added.
Schiff, who is the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called Manafort’s alleged actions “desperate,” and suggested the former Trump campaign aide is worried about his legal fate.
In a Monday court filing, Mueller’s team said Manafort and a longtime associate linked to Russian intelligence attempted to contact via phone call, text and encrypted messages two people from “The Hapsburg Group,” which Manafort had worked with to lobby for Ukrainian interests.
The filing argued that Manafort’s attempts at contact were “in an effort to influence their testimony and to otherwise conceal evidence,” and that the probe into the matter was still ongoing.
Mueller’s team asked the court to revoke or revise Manafort’s release conditions, including his bond and house arrest.
Manafort was indicted in October as part of Mueller’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. He is facing charges of tax fraud and money laundering.