Manafort’s Former Accountant Fired From Firm After Witness Testimony

Kevin Downing, attorney of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, arrives the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse for the second day of Manafort's trial August 3, 2018 in Alexandria, Virginia. Manafort has been charged with bank and tax fraud as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
ALEXANDRIA, VA - AUGUST 03: Accountant Cindy Laporta leaves the Justin W. Williams U.S. Arrorney's Building at the conclusion of the fourth day of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's trial August 3, 2018 ... ALEXANDRIA, VA - AUGUST 03: Accountant Cindy Laporta leaves the Justin W. Williams U.S. Arrorney's Building at the conclusion of the fourth day of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's trial August 3, 2018 in Alexandria, Virginia. Manafort has been charged with bank and tax fraud as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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The firm that employed Paul Manafort’s former accountant, Cindy Laporta, has fired Laporta and launched an internal investigation into her conduct after she provided witness testimony in the case against Manafort last week, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

In her testimony, Laporta told the court she knew that Manafort’s tax returns contained false information, but she filed them anyway, out of fear of legal retaliation from Manafort and his former business partner Rick Gates.

In a Tuesday statement shared with Bloomberg, the firm Kositzka, Wicks & Co. said it was “shocked by Ms. Laporta’s testimony, which clearly represents that she failed to meet the firm’s high standards for professional and ethical conduct in her work for Mr. Manafort.”

The firm confirmed in a follow up email to Bloomberg that Laporta was “no longer working here.”

Laporta, who provided her testimony in exchange for immunity, told the court she knew Gates was using false loan documents to lower Manafort’s taxes and secure loans.

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Notable Replies

  1. You knew that was coming. Immunity isn’t going to protect her from this portion of the program.

  2. May this also happen to DJT.

  3. Everything Trump is a third rail.

  4. I wonder if Trump and his lawyers had a conversation about Trump using the Manafort defense: Try to set up Manafort as the mastermind and Trump just a pawn in PM’s cruel, cruel game.

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