Paul Manafort, former campaign manager of the US president, was found guilty of eight counts of tax fraud
It has been recommended by prosecutors that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort serve between 19 and a half and 24 and a half years in prison.
The political consultant was found guilty by a jury in August on eight counts of tax fraud, bank fraud and a foreign bank account. They were not able to reach a verdict on 10 other charges.
Special counsel Robert Mueller said in a court filing on Friday that Mueller should face 235 to 292 months for “serious, longstanding, and bold” financial crimes.
The filing dealt with crimes the 69-year-old started committing before he joined the Trump campaign. He also faces fines of more than $50 million.
Mueller’s team said: “Manafort acted for more than a decade as if he were above the law, and deprived the federal government and various financial institutions of millions of dollars.
“The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and serve to both deter Manafort and others from engaging in such conduct.”
A Virginia jury found Mueller guilty of hiding $16 million from US authorities and therefore avoiding $6 million of taxes. The filing said he had “ample funds” to foot the tax bill but “he simply chose not to comply with laws that would reduce his wealth.”
Federal judge TS Ellis will decide his sentence.
Manafort will also be sentenced in Washington next month for crimes he admitted in this case.
Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US election which intelligence agencies have concluded was intended to help Trump win.
