Paul Manafort’s lawyers said Tuesday they would rest their case without putting him on the stand or calling any other witnesses, gambling that federal prosecutors have not convinced the jury that President Trump’s former campaign chairman is guilty of tax evasion and bank fraud.
They disclosed their decision after U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III denied a defense motion to dismiss the 18 criminal charges against Manafort in a case brought by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Such motions are routinely filed but rarely granted.
The prosecution rested its case late Monday after calling about two dozen witnesses and presenting reams of documentary evidence over the last two weeks.
The longtime Republican operative and influential lobbyist has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges connected to his work advising Ukraine’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych, and his political party.
They include five counts of filing false tax returns between 2010 and 2014, four counts of failing to report foreign bank accounts, and nine counts of bank fraud and conspiracies to commit bank fraud.
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04.28.2025