Paul Manafort: Donald Trump's ex-campaign chairman jailed for 47 months over tax and bank fraud

Jailed: Paul Manafort
AP

Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been sentenced to almost four years in prison for tax and bank fraud.

The financial crimes were uncovered during Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 US presidential election.

He was convicted after prosecutors accused him of hiding from the US government millions of dollars he earned as a consultant for Ukraine's former pro-Russia government.

A US district judge imposed the sentence of 47 months in prison on Republican political consultant Manafort, 69, during a hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort
REUTERS

The judge said that Manafort "is not before the court for any allegations that he, or anyone at his direction, colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election."

Manafort asked Ellis for mercy and thanked him for conducting a fair trial. He did not express remorse for his actions but talked about how the case has been difficult for him and his family.

He told the court that "to say I have been humiliated and ashamed would be a gross understatement." He described his life as "professionally and financially in shambles."

Manafort was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair holding a cane, wearing a green prison jumpsuit emblazoned with the words "Alexandria inmate" on the back.

Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he is pictured alongside his then-campaign manager Paul Manafort in July, 2016
REUTERS

Prosecutors said Manafort lied to banks to secure loans and maintain an opulent lifestyle with luxurious homes, designer suits and even a $15,000 ostrich-skin jacket.

His defence team argued he should get a lighter sentence because he had agreed to cooperate with the prosecution after he was convicted.

Manafort faces sentencing in a separate case next Wednesday in Washington on two conspiracy charges to which he pleaded guilty last September.

He is the only one of the 34 people and three companies charged by Mueller to have gone to trial.

Several others including former campaign aides Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen have pleaded guilty, while long-time Trump adviser Roger Stone has pleaded not guilty.

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