Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort pleaded guilty on Friday and agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller in his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Manafort entered his guilty plea to two felony counts during an hour-long hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C. The plea took place three days before he was to face trial on charges related to his lobbying work for Ukraine and alleged witness tampering.
The trial would have been Manafort's second; he was convicted last month by a federal jury in Virginia on eight of 18 counts in a bank and tax fraud case related to money he earned in Ukraine.
In court on Friday, Manafort blew a kiss to his wife, Kathleen, before the hearing.
The deal presents a potentially ominous development for President Trump, who has repeatedly called Mueller's probe a "witch hunt."
The plea agreement says Manafort agrees to cooperate in any and all matters as to which the government deems the cooperation relevant. That includes testifying fully and completely before a grand jury in Washington D.C., or elsewhere.
But one person familiar with the case said the agreement does not include cooperation on matters involving the Trump campaign. The individual asked not to be identified.
It was not immediately clear what information Manafort might provide prosecutors. But he served as Trump's campaign chairman during the critical summer months 2016, and he attended the now-infamous meeting at Trump Tower that June with a Russian delegation offering dirt on Hillary Clinton.
The plea announced on Friday covered Manafort's work as a lobbyist for a now-deposed president of Ukraine, for which he did not register as required by law. Manafort also hid the millions of dollars he made from that work from the U.S. government and asked witnesses to lie to the jury in the trial he has now avoided.
Manafort's lawyer, Kevin Downing, told reporters outside the courthouse that it was "a tough day for Mr. Manafort."
Continued Downing: "He wanted to make sure that his family was able to remain safe and live a good life. He's accepted responsibility and this is for conduct that dates back many years."
White House keeps at arm's length
Despite Manafort's job leading the campaign, the White House sought to distance itself on Friday from him and his case.
"This had absolutely nothing to do with the president or his victorious 2016 presidential campaign," said press secretary Sarah Sanders. "It is totally unrelated."
Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, echoed that idea, adding that "the president did nothing wrong."
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