Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Robert Mueller Just Served Paul Manafort With Another Indictment, and We Now Know How He's Going to Prosecute Collusion

Robert Mueller Just Served Paul Manafort With Another Indictment, and We Now Know How He's Going to Prosecute Collusion
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 23: Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort arrives for a hearing at the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse on May 23, 2018 in Washington, DC. Manafort was indicted last year by a federal grand jury and has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him including, conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, and being an unregistered agent of a foreign principal. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The office of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III has filed a superseding indictment against Paul Manafort, the embattled former chairman of President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.


The indictment also names Manafort's former business associate Konstantin Kilimnik, who has close ties to Russian intelligence, as a codefendant.

The 32-page indictment includes two charges: obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice, alleging that Manafort and Kilimnik conspired to intimidate witnesses in Mueller's probe into whether Trump's presidential campaign colluded with foreign powers to influence the 2016 presidential election.

The defendants PAUL J. MANAFORT, JR., and KONSTANTIN KILIMNIK knowingly and intentionally conspired to corruptly persuade another person, to wit: Persons D1 and D2, with intent to influence, delay, and prevent the testimony of any person in an official proceeding.

This is a significant development relating to accusations of "collusion," as Mueller's latest indictment is the first to charge both an American and a Russian with the same crimes under the scope of the special counsel's investigation.

The conspiracy charge alleges that Manafort "repeatedly contacted Persons D1 and D2 in an effort to secure materially false testimony concerning the activities of the Hapsburg group," a lobbying firm that conducts business on behalf of Ukranian interests.

Kilimnik is the 20th individual to be indicted on criminal charges related to the ongoing Russia investigation. The indictment states that Kilimnik, formerly known as "Person A," wrote to Person D2: "Basically P wants to give him a quick summary that he says to everybody (which is true) that our friends never lobbied in the US, and the purpose of the program was EU."

Friday's indictment includes five previous charges against Manafort, which include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal, and false statements.

The new charges against Manafort offer a glimpse into how Mueller is planning on prosecuting 'collusion'- as we learned today, Manafort employed the assistance of a foreign agent to intentionally impede an ongoing federal investigation into the Trump campaign's supposed ties to Russia.

Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), who co-chairs the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted the importance of Friday's development, "shows that Trump’s former campaign chair worked with a Russian with reported ties to Russian intelligence to subvert U.S. law."

On Monday, the special counsel's office accused Manafort of attempting to coax witnesses into committing perjury when they go to testify at his upcoming trials.

Manafort is currently under house arrest and is scheduled to appear in court on June 15, which Mueller requested when prosecutors uncovered evidence of witness tampering. With the new indictments, however, it's likely that the judge overseeing the case will revoke Manafort's $10 million unsecured bail and send him to prison.

Manafort is already facing up to 300 years in prison if he were to be convicted on the first five indictments. He is scheduled to face trial in Virginia in July and then again in DC in September.

In addition to a possible lengthy prison sentence, the indictment states that Manafort's properties will be subject to forfeiture by the government should he be convicted.

The United States will seek forfeiture as part of any sentence in accordance with Title 18, United States Code, Sections 981(a)(1)(C) and 982(a)(1), and Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c), in the event of the defendants’ conviction. Upon conviction of the offense charged in Count Two, the

defendant PAUL J. MANAFORT, JR., shall forfeit to the United States any property, real or

personal, involved in such offense, and any property traceable to such property.

The president has repeatedly referred to Mueller's investigation as a "witch hunt," but with more than 20 indictments against 20 people, Mueller's hunt has certainly found some witches.

More from News

Country Singer Gavin Adcock went on a drunken rant over Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" success.
Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Country singer rants over Beyoncé album

Country singer Gavin Adcock became the title of his next album, “Own Worst Enemy,” after going on an unhinged rant about the legitimacy of Beyoncé's Grammy-winning and record-breaking Cowboy Carter in the country music genre.

Adcock, whose upcoming album is set for release next month, was filmed during a live performance last weekend, complaining that Beyoncé and her album are not “country music.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Dionne Warwick; Tiny Chef
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images; @ToonHive/X

Dionne Warwick Is Ready To Go To War With Nickelodeon Over 'Tiny Chef' Cancellation

You know your campaign against a show's cancellation is achieving widespread attention when you get people like venerated singer Dionne Warwick advocating for you.

Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show was recently cancelled, much to the dismay of its viewers and creators. It was also a genuinely surprising decision, since the show has won an Emmy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman relaxing in sunhat and sunglasses
Photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash

People Explain Which 'Small Luxuries' They Can't Live Without

Many of us have committed to being fairly financially frugal and not overspending on silly, unnecessary things.

That is to say, sometimes, it's fun to splurge on something one time to see what it's like to experience that small luxury.

Keep ReadingShow less
two women in emotional distress seated on couch
Ben White on Unsplash

People Who've Experienced Grief Share The Most Tone-Deaf Things They've Heard

Grief, loss, trauma are all part of life. But for most people, the emotions and reactions that go with them are difficult to witness.

So they rely on platitudes to fill any holes in conversation. That's rarely a good idea.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less