*By Carlo Versano* President Trump's former campaign chair Paul Manafort is, as of Friday, the latest of the president's ex-associates to plead guilty to felony charges. Manafort was convicted in federal court in August of eight financial fraud charges, though "this is the first time time Paul Manafort has ever admitted to committing a crime," Ben Dreyfuss, editorial director of Mother Jones, said. Friday's plea deal was related to a separate set of charges for which the former political consultant was awaiting trial. As part of the plea, Manafort will cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. That is "massive news," Dreyfuss said. Trump praised Manafort as a "brave man" when he was found guilty of bank and tax fraud last month ー roughly the same hour when Trump's former consigliere Michael Cohen was offering to cooperate, much to the chagrin of the president. Manafort's lawyer said Friday his client had offered "full cooperation," though as Dreyfuss noted, no details have been made public yetー and what specifically Manafort could offer prosecutors remains unknown. "No one knows what he could say except for Trump himself," Dreyfuss said.

Share:
More In Politics
Here's What to Do if You Miss the Tax Day Deadline
The tax deadline in the U.S. is on April 18 this year, and some filers may still not be able to complete their return by then. Cheddar has partnered with Jackson Hewitt to let you know what you can do should you blow the deadline.
What You Need to Know Ahead of Tax Day on April 18
With tax day just five days away, David Ragland, Certified Financial Planner, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and Chief Executive Officer of IRC Wealth joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to break down everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming tax deadline.
Load More