The New York Times reports:
Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, repeatedly lied to federal investigators in breach of a plea agreement he signed two months ago, the special counsel’s office said in a court filing late on Monday.
Mr. Manafort’s “crimes and lies” during a series of interviews with prosecutors working for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and the F.B.I. relieve them of all promises they made to him in the plea agreement reached in mid-September, investigators wrote in the filing.
The dramatic development in the 11th hour of Mr. Manafort’s case means, at a minimum, that prosecutors will not ask for a lighter punishment in return for his cooperation. They could also conceivably seek to refile bank fraud charges that they agreed to dismiss as part of the plea agreement.
NEW: Special counsel’s office claims Paul Manafort lied to the FBI and to Mueller’s office “on a variety of subject matters” after signing a plea deal, in breach of the agreement. Manafort disputes that characterization. More soon. https://t.co/DPTKqdgMdw pic.twitter.com/1qqAOufWF8
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) November 26, 2018
Kinda feels like Manafort is maybe just, like, addicted to doing crimes?
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) November 27, 2018
Reuters: U.S. SPECIAL COUNSEL MUELLER’S OFFICE SAYS FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN MANAFORT LIED TO FBI AND SPECIAL COUNSEL IN BREACH OF PLEA AGREEMENT -COURT FILING
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 27, 2018