In the meantime, Manafort’s case is speeding to trial against a prosecutor who has overwhelming evidence against him as detailed in the indictment. Now he has given Mueller another reason to pursue that case with vigor. If like most defendants Manafort should decide to plead, his chances of getting any break at all just shrank. And we don’t even want to think about what a sentencing phase would look like. Manafort’s litigation gamble is a very risky bet indeed—one he seems destined to lose.
Right now Manafort is looking at 80 years. I don't think the judge will be amused by this suit if he is found guilty.
Prosecutors are urging a federal judge to set a May trial date for President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates, who have pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering and failing to register as foreign lobbyists.
Lawyers from the office of special counsel Robert Mueller told U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson in a written filing Friday that they want the trial to begin on May 14.
The proposal was submitted ahead of a hearing Jackson has scheduled for Tuesday morning to discuss the status of the case.
In November, Jackson proposed a May 7 trial date, but she backed away from setting any trial schedule while prosecutors and defense attorneys negotiated about various legal motions that will be filed in the coming months.
In their new report, prosecutors said they've produced more than 590,000 electronic items for the defense in preparation for trial.
Manafort and Gates were both placed in home confinement after being indicted in October. In recent weeks, Jackson has agreed to release both men under various conditions, including pledges of various homes and other assets as bail and promises by associates to forfeit funds if the men don't show up for trial.
The indictment charges Manafort and Gates with receiving tens of millions of dollars over about a decade for work related to Ukraine and failing to report various bank accounts used to hold those funds. They're also accused of submitting false information to the Justice Department about their activities for Ukraine.
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