White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement on Friday night stating that the special counsel’s court filings against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort do not implicate President Donald Trump.
Mueller wrote in a court document Friday that Manafort violated his plea agreement by lying to federal prosecutors. (RELATED: New Mueller Filing Claims Manafort Breached Plea Deal By Lying To Prosecutors)
In regard to the allegations Manafort lied to the special counsel, Sanders said in a statement:
The government’s filing in Mr. Manafort’s case says absolutely nothing about the President. It says even less about collusion and is devoted almost entirely to lobbying-related issues. Once again the media is trying to create a story where there isn’t one.
“The defendant breached his plea agreement in numerous ways by lying to the FBI and Special Counsel’s Office,” the filing read, according to Fox News.
Paul Manafort is shown in this booking photo in Alexanderia, Virginia, U.S., July 12, 2018. Alexandria Sheriff’s Office/Handout via REUTERS
Mueller alleged that Manafort lied about five issues in particular: 1) his contact with the Trump administration 2) information “pertinent to another Department of Justice investigation” 3) his relationship with Konstantin Kilimnik, a political consultant in Russia/Ukraine 4) what he said specifically about Kilimnik’s participation in an attempt to obstruct justice, and 5) a payment Manafort made to a law firm. (RELATED: Mueller And Manafort Have A Lot Riding On This Supreme Court Case)
If the court agrees that Manafort breached his September plea deal by lying, the government will not have to uphold its obligation to support a reduced sentence and they could seek additional charges.