Mueller says Manafort violated plea deal by lying to investigators

Paul Manafort.
(Image credit: Alex Wong / Getty Images)

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office is accusing Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman, of breaching his plea deal by repeatedly lying to FBI agents and prosecutors during recent interviews.

In a court report filed late Monday, Mueller's office that said because Manafort violated the agreement, they do not have to hold up their end of the deal, and it's now possible Manafort will face a harsher prison sentence. In August, Manafort was convicted of eight counts of financial fraud, and before he could face a second trial on additional charges, he signed a plea agreement in mid-September and pleaded guilty to two conspiracy counts.

As part of his plea agreement, Manafort promised to answer all questions "fully, truthfully, completely, and forthrightly." Manafort's defense attorneys said he "believes he has provided truthful information" and attempted to "live up to his cooperation obligations." Prosecutors did not reveal what Manafort lied about, saying they will soon file a sentencing memo describing "the nature of the defendant's crimes and lies."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.