Former Trump aide Paul Manafort lied to prosecutors in Russia probe, judge rules

Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, was found to have lied to investigators in the Russia probe Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File

Paul Manafort intentionally lied to investigators and a federal grand jury in the Russia probe, a judge has ruled.

The ruling by US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson was another loss for the former Trump campaign chairman, who faces years in prison in two separate criminal cases stemming from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

It hurts Manafort’s chance of receiving a reduced sentence, though the judge said she would decide the exact impact during his sentencing next month.

The judge found there was sufficient evidence Manafort broke his plea agreement by lying about three of five matters that prosecutors had singled out.

Kevin Downing, Paul Manafort’s defence lawyer, right, walks to the entrance of federal court. Credit: AP

This included his misleading the FBI, prosecutors and a federal grand jury about his interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik, his co-defendant who the FBI said has ties to Russian intelligence.

Prosecutors had accused Manafort of lying about his discussions with Kilimnik about a possible Ukrainian peace plan.

During a sealed hearing, Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann said one of the discussions - a meeting on August 2, 2016 at the Grand Havana Club cigar bar in New York - went to the "larger view of what we think is going on" and what "we think the motive here is".

"This goes, I think, very much to the heart of what the Special Counsel’s Office is investigating," Mr Weissmann said, adding: "That meeting and what happened at that meeting is of significance to the special counsel."

The meeting occurred while Manafort was still in a high-ranking role in the Trump campaign. Rick Gates, Manafort’s longtime deputy and also a Trump campaign aide, also attended.

Prosecutors also accused Manafort of lying about sharing polling data with Kilimnik during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Manafort’s lawyers had argued he did not intentionally mislead investigators but rather forgot some details until his memory was refreshed.

They also said the special counsel had not shown the topic at issue was material to the investigation.

In her ruling, the judge said prosecutors did not sufficiently back up two allegations against Manafort, saying she could not find that he intentionally lied about Kilimnik’s role in witness tampering or what Manafort told investigators about his contacts with the Trump administration.