Manafort's attorneys argue that since he's not a murderer, he should receive a light prison sentence

Lawyers for Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman, do not think he should serve more than 10 years in prison, saying that his conduct, "while certainly illegal, unquestionably falls on the less serious end of the spectrum of federal felonies."

In March, Manafort is scheduled to be sentenced in two separate cases: One in Virginia, where he was found guilty last August of tax and bank fraud, and another in Washington, D.C., where he pleaded guilty last September to conspiracy and lying to cover up his crimes. Manafort, 69, signed a plea deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, agreeing to become a cooperating witness, but in November, Mueller said he lied to investigators and the deal was off.

Because of his age, a long sentence means Manafort will die in prison, his lawyers said. In a filing on Monday, they argued that Manafort has been "widely vilified in a manner that this country has not experienced in decades," and he should be sentenced in D.C. to less than the 10-year maximum prison term. "This case is not about murder, drug cartels, organized crime, the Madoff Ponzi scheme, or the collapse of Enron," they said.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up