In a bombshell development, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is cooperating with the special counsel as part of the plea deal in his federal criminal trial.
The deal, announced in a D.C. courtroom Friday by federal prosecutor Andrew Weissman, included a “17 page cooperation agreement,” according to Washington Post reporter Spencer Hsu.
Journalists in the courtroom also reported that the “remaining charges” against Manafort would be dropped either at sentencing or at the end of his cooperation.
It’s unclear if Weissman was referring to the charges Manafort was facing in D.C. or the 10 counts that a Virginia jury hung on in his separate criminal trial there.
This news represents a huge blow to President Trump. Just a few weeks ago, Trump tweeted that he respected Manafort’s refusal to “break” and cooperate with federal prosecutors, calling him a “brave man.”
