President Donald Trump expressed little worry with his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller before departing for North Carolina Wednesday.
“I’m not,” Trump said when asked directly if he’s worried, adding, “Paul Manafort was with me for a short period of time. He did a good job. I was very happy with the job he did. And I will tell you this — I believe that he will tell the truth. And if he tells the truth, no problem. I don’t want to talk about it now.”
Manafort was facing several charges brought by Mueller’s team regarding years of illegal lobbying on behalf of the Ukrainian government. The charges also detailed how Manafort and his associates actively attempted to hide his illegal lobbying activity and accepted millions of dollars via indiscreet channels.
Manafort was previously convicted of several counts of tax evasion in Virginia but a mistrial was declared on others. Mueller’s team dropped remaining charges that Manafort was not convicted on in Virginia, which resolves any outstanding criminal liability he may face. The former Trump campaign chairman is likely now to spend significant time in federal prison.