Manafort trial begins third day of jury deliberations
Jury deliberations resumed Monday morning in the financial fraud trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
Monday marks the third day that jurors ponder the 18-count indictment. On Friday, the jury told Judge T.S. Ellis one juror needed to leave by 5 p.m. for an event. On Thursday during deliberations, the jury asked Ellis to redefine "reasonable doubt"— something Manafort's lawyers took as a positive sign.
Federal prosecutors in the trial in Alexandria, Virginia, allege that Manafort hid tens of millions of dollars in foreign income. They also say he lied on loan applications to obtain millions more to maintain a lavish lifestyle, one that included hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on suits and items like a python jacket.
Manafort's attorneys didn't call witnesses in his defense, claiming the prosecution had failed to meet its burden of proof. His attorneys attacked the credibility of a key government witness, one-time Manafort protege Rick Gates. Gates also worked on the Trump campaign for a time, and reached a plea deal with the federal government. Gates alleged he and Manafort committed crimes together.
The trial is the first courtroom test of the Russia probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller, though the case doesn't involve allegations of Russian election interference.
Ellis on Friday denied a request from the media to publicly release the names of the jurors, saying he has received threats during the course of the trial and fears jurors would receive similar threats.
"I have the Marshals' protection," Ellis told the court Friday. "I don't even go to the hotel alone."
