Mueller evidence list focuses on Manafort's lavish lifestyle
A photograph of a Bridgehampton putting green, New York Yankees season-ticket licensing agreements, and invoices for high-end clothing: the trappings of a life of luxury may soon be evidence in the criminal trial of former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
Manafort has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of bank and tax fraud among other charges, but according to a filing submitted by special counsel Robert Mueller on July 18, prosecutors have prepared hundreds of trial exhibits to support their claims that he tried to hide income from the U.S. government and fraudulently secured loans.
The itemized list also includes records of payments to Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz dealers, pictures of Manafort’s property holdings, and certificates of authenticity for fine art.
Prosecutors have also indicated they are prepared to present more than just receipts for extravagant purchases. The exhibit list also includes communications between Manafort and Ukrainian officials, including the country’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych, and immunity orders for five unnamed witnesses.
Mueller’s team has also notes that their list may not be exhaustive, asking “leave of the Court to file additional exhibits if necessary.”
While the indictments against Manafort are not directly tied to the special counsel’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, many of the charges are related to his dealing with Kremlin-backed Ukrainian politicians. Prosecutors have accused Mueller of failing to register as a foreign agent.
Jury selection for Manafort’s trial is slated to begin next week in Alexandria, Va.—where he is being held in a detention center. He also faces similar charges in Washington, D.C. federal court. That trial is planned for September.
