Mueller releases 800-page sentencing memo on Paul Manafort accusing him of 'repeatedly and brazenly' breaking the law
by Caitlin Yilek
& Allison Elyse Gualtieri
| February 23, 2019 02:35 PM
| Updated Feb 23, 2019, 04:45 PM
Special counsel Robert Mueller did not offer a specific recommendation for how long Paul Manafort should spend in prison but said the former Trump campaign manager's sentence should take into account the gravity of his conduct and deter him and those who commit similar crimes, according to a redacted sentencing memo released Saturday.
"For over a decade, Manafort repeatedly and brazenly violated the law. His crimes continued up through the time he was first indicted in October 2017 and remarkably went unabated even after indictment," the memo reads. "Manafort engaged in witness tampering while on bail and, even after he was caught for engaging in that scheme, Manafort committee the additional crimes of perjury and making false statements after he entered his guilty pleas herein."
The more than 800-page sentencing memo, which was filed under seal ahead of a midnight deadline, was ordered released with the redactions by Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is presiding over the case in Washington, D.C.
Manafort, 69, is already facing the possibility that he will spend the rest of his life in prison. The recommendation comes a week after Mueller requested a 19- to 24-year prison sentence for Manafort in a separate case in Virginia.
The criminal case in Washington, D.C., involves Manafort illegally lobbying on behalf of Ukrainian interests. Manafort accepted a plea deal in the case, admitting to one count of conspiracy against the U.S. and one count of obstructing justice. However, prosecutors said Manafort lied to investigators after he agreed to cooperate in the case, and thus, they did not have to recommend a reduced sentence.
"Based on his relevant sentencing conduct, Manafort presents many aggravating sentencing factors and no warranted mitigating factors," the memo states.
The memo notes that sentencing guidelines offer a range of 17 to 21 years.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mueller-releases-800-page-sentencing-memo-on-paul-manafort-accusing-him-of-repeatedly-and-brazenly-breaking-the-law
