Paul Manafort, Ex-Trump Campaign Manager, Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison
Written by SOURCE on March 8, 2019
Paul Manafort caught a lucky break Thursday.
The former Trump campaign chief was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison after being convicted of tax and bank fraud. The 69-year-old was originally facing 19 to 24 years behind bars; however, Judge T.S. Ellis said such a punishment would be “excessive,” as Manafort “has lived an otherwise blameless life.”
“Let me be clear: the guidelines would suggest sentencing is a calculation. It is not. It is a judgment,” Ellis said, according to NBC News.
The judge made sure to point out that Manafort’s conviction had nothing to do with alleged collusion with Russia, and that he was only found guilty of stealing from American taxpayers. Manafort was also ordered to pay $24.8 million in restitution as well as a $50,000 fine.
This story is being updated.
