Paul Manafort on Wednesday was sentenced to an additional 43 months in prison in federal court in Washington, D.C. in connection with the undisclosed lobbying work he did on behalf of a Ukrainian political party, just days after receiving a 47-month sentence in a separate case in Virginia.
In delivering the sentence, Judge Amy Berman Jackson stipulated that, while the charges against Manafort did result from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into his work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine, his guilt does not constitute evidence of collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.
"The question of whether there was any collusion with Russia…was not presented in this case, period, therefore it was not resolved by this case," said Jackson.
Jackson went on to refute the claim that Manafort was a victim who was cynically taken advantage of by politically motivated prosecutors, as has been alleged by many Trump allies.
"The defendant isn’t public enemy number one. But he’s not a victim either," she said, adding that it is "hard to overstate the number of lies, the amount of fraud and the extraordinary amount of money involved."
Manafort, who was sentenced in Virginia last week on bank and tax fraud charges, apologized for his actions and asked Jackson for leniency so he could care for his wife in their old age.
"I am sorry for what I have done and for all the activities that have gotten us here today," he said. "I stand here today to assure the court that I am a different person who stood before you in October of 2017."
"I know it was my conduct that brought me here today. For these mistakes, I am remorseful. I will be 70 years old in a few weeks," he continued. "My wife is 66. She needs me. I need her. I ask you to think of this and our need for each other. Please do not take away from us away from each other. Please let me and my wife be together."
Immediately following his sentencing in federal court, the Manhattan district attorney’s office announced state fraud charges against him.
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