Paul Manafort Convicted of Tax and Bank Fraud
While the crimes predated his campaign role, Manafort's conviction is part of a striking pattern—at least ten people in Trump's inner circle have been convicted or pleaded guilty to crimes. Any single conviction might be dismissed as coincidence, but the cumulative pattern is historically unprecedented for a modern presidential campaign and administration, raising questions about the judgment exercised in selecting close associates.
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Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign chairman, was convicted on eight felony counts of tax and bank fraud in August 2018 as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Manafort was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for bank and tax fraud crimes related to his work as a political consultant in Ukraine. He pleaded guilty to additional charges related to money laundering, witness tampering, and lobbying violations.
Manafort served just under two years in prison before being pardoned by Trump in December 2020.