Courthouse News reports:
A jury has been seated in the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on tax evasion and bank fraud charges. A jury of six men and six women has been sworn in for the trial, and four alternate jurors, three women and one man, have also been selected. Opening arguments will begin later Tuesday afternoon.
Manafort, who could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted, appeared calm and relaxed as U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III and the attorneys for both sides winnoed down the pool of 32 men and 33 women from which the jury and alternates was chosen.
Several news trucks and camera crew stood poised outside the courtroom’s main entrance and nearby, a group of roughly 20 protesters carried colorful signs that read: “It’s Mueller Time,” “Your Silence Gives Consent” and on one, a jab at Manafort’s penchant for lavish spending. That sign read: “Was the $18,000 karaoke machine worth it?”
The Fake News Media is going CRAZY! They are totally unhinged and in many ways, after witnessing first hand the damage they do to so many innocent and decent people, I enjoy watching. In 7 years, when I am no longer in office, their ratings will dry up and they will be gone!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018