Jeffrey Yohai, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's former son-in-law and business partner, reached a secret plea deal with federal prosecutors earlier this year that requires him to cooperate in other state and federal investigations, Reuters, Politico, and other news organizations report. "I can only confirm that he has reached a plea agreement," Yohai attorney James Hinds told BuzzFeed News on Thursday. One of Special Counsel Robert Muller's two criminal indictments against Manafort charges him with bank fraud for allegedly instructing an unidentified son-in-law to pretend he was living in a Manhattan apartment that was being used as a rental property.
Manafort, who invested in real estate with Yohai in California and New York, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Yohai's plea agreement is sealed, but he reportedly pleaded guilty in federal court in Los Angeles to criminal fraud in obtaining real estate loans, a case that predate's Mueller's investigation. According to Reuters, Yohai is a "close business partner" who "was privy to many of Manafort's financial dealings." Mueller's team interviewed Yohai last June and reportedly remains interested in what he knows about Manafort. Yohai's divorce with Manafort's daughter was finalized last August.
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