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

Paul Manafort.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.