Paul Manafort$30M+
NO WANTED POSTERConvicted in 2018 and pardoned in 2020; never a fugitive. No poster.
#78 OF 102
Paul Manafort
INDIVIDUALBORN IN 🇺🇸 UNITED STATES ▸CASE 101 · BANK & TAX FRAUDPARDONED
Ukraine money · 7.5 years · pardoned 2020
$30M+
WHAT WAS TAKEN
Income from his Ukraine work hidden from the IRS and laundered through offshore accounts, per the indictment; about $22M in real estate forfeited. Convicted 2018, pardoned December 2020.
HOW
Never registered as a foreign agent, never reported the money, and lied on bank loan applications.
AT A GLANCE
Known as
Paul Manafort
Born
Apr 1, 1949 · New Britain, Connecticut
Status
Home confinement May 13, 2020; pardoned Dec 23, 2020
Court
US District Court, Eastern District of Virginia (Judge T.S. Ellis III); US District Court, District of Columbia (Judge Amy Berman Jackson)
Charges
E.D. Va.: 18 counts of tax fraud, failure to report foreign bank accounts and bank fraud; convicted on 8 (five false tax returns 2010–2014, one FBA…
Plea
Not guilty in Virginia (jury verdict 21 August 2018); guilty in D.C. — 14 September 2018
Photo: Alexandria Sheriff's Office booking photo, July 2018, via NBC News
Story
TAP TO READ FULL NARRATIVE — THE PAPERWORK (700 WORDS)
Sources: DOJ/E.D. Virginia — jury verdict August 2018, sentencing · DOJ/D.C. — plea agreement September 2018 · Mueller investigation record · contemporaneous press coverage
· PROLOGUE ·
Paul Manafort was a political consultant and lobbyist who spent decades working for foreign governments and political figures. His clients included Ukrainian politicians, including those aligned with Viktor Yanukovych, the former president of Ukraine. He was paid tens of millions of dollars for that work. He did not register as a foreign agent as required by US law. He did not report the income to US tax authorities. He used the offshore income for domestic purchases — real estate, clothing, personal expenses — through a web of accounts designed to obscure the source of the funds.
None of that was a lobbying crime. The crime was the paperwork.
PART ONE: THE LOBBYIST
FARA — the Foreign Agents Registration Act — requires people working in the United States to advance the interests of foreign principals to disclose that work, register with the Department of Justice, and file periodic reports. Manafort lobbied American politicians, think tanks and media outlets on behalf of Ukrainian interests. He organized a campaign to influence US policy. He retained US lobbying firms to do the same. None of it was disclosed or registered.
In parallel, the income from those activities — structured through accounts in Cyprus, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and other offshore jurisdictions — flowed into the United States in ways designed to avoid tax reporting. Manafort used it to pay for real estate, home improvements, personal purchases, and other expenses. The undisclosed income exceeded $30 million over the relevant period. [SOURCE: DOJ E.D. Virginia indictment; DOJ D.C. plea agreement]
PART TWO: TWO CASES, ONE PERSON
Manafort faced charges in two separate federal districts. In the Eastern District of Virginia, he was tried by a jury in August 2018 on eighteen counts of tax fraud, failure to report foreign accounts and bank fraud. On 21 August 2018 the jury convicted him on eight and could not agree on the other ten. In the District of Columbia, on 14 September 2018, he pleaded guilty to two counts — conspiracy against the United States, covering the FARA violations and money laundering, and conspiracy to obstruct justice — and admitted the ten Virginia counts as part of the plea. Both proceedings were part of the Mueller investigation. Judge T.S. Ellis gave him 47 months on 7 March 2019; Judge Amy Berman Jackson gave him 73 months on 13 March 2019, 30 of them concurrent, so seven and a half years in all. He was released to home confinement on 13 May 2020 during the pandemic.
On 23 December 2020, President Trump granted Manafort a full pardon. [SOURCE: White House announcement, 23 December 2020; sentencing, E.D. Va. and D.D.C., March 2019]
A pardon forgives the sentence. It does not alter the verdict or remove the conviction from the record. His status in this series is: convicted (August 2018), pardoned (December 2020). The record reflects both.
· EPILOGUE ·
The lobbying was legal. The failure to register it was not. The income was real. The failure to report it was not. The bank loan applications were real documents. What was written on them was not. Convicted 2018. Pardoned 2020. Both of those facts are in the record.
VERIFIED SOURCES
[1] DOJ/E.D. Virginia — superseding indictment (22 February 2018), jury verdict (21 August 2018, 8 of 18 counts), sentencing (7 March 2019, 47 months).
[2] DOJ/D.C. — plea agreement (14 September 2018) and sentencing (13 March 2019, 73 months, 30 concurrent).
[3] Mueller Report / Special Counsel documentation — FARA and obstruction findings.
[4] White House — pardon announcement, December 2020.
VERIFIED: 7.5 years in all (47 + 43 months); about 23 months served in custody before home confinement. Manhattan prosecutors indicted him on 13 March 2019 on sixteen mortgage-fraud counts; a state judge dismissed the case on 18 December 2019 as double jeopardy, the Appellate Division affirmed on 22 October 2020, and New York's Court of Appeals declined to hear it on 4 February 2021. No state charge survived. [SOURCE: People v. Manafort, App. Div. 1st Dept., 22 October 2020; CNBC, 8 February 2021]
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Bio
BIO
IDENTITY
NAME
Paul John Manafort Jr.
BORN
Apr 1, 1949 · New Britain, Connecticut
THE CLIENT
Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions, Ukraine
THE MONEY
Through Cyprus and other offshore accounts
THE JUDGES
T.S. Ellis III (E.D. Va.); Amy Berman Jackson (D.D.C.)
CASE RECORD
JAILED
Jun 15, 2018 · bail revoked for witness tampering
CONVICTED
Aug 21, 2018 · tax and bank fraud, 8 counts
SENTENCED
Mar 7 and 13, 2019 · 47 + 43 months
STATUS
Home confinement May 13, 2020; pardoned Dec 23, 2020
KNOWN AS
Paul Manafort
COURT
US District Court, Eastern District of Virginia (Judge T.S. Ellis III); US District Court, District of Columbia (Judge Amy Berman Jackson)
JUDGE
T.S. Ellis III; Amy Berman Jackson
CHARGES
E.D. Va.: 18 counts of tax fraud, failure to report foreign bank accounts and bank fraud; convicted on 8 (five false tax returns 2010–2014, one FBAR count, two bank fraud counts), mistrial on 10. D.C.: conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice (witness tampering), by plea
NOT CHARGED WITH
A 16-count New York State mortgage-fraud indictment (13 March 2019) was dismissed on double-jeopardy grounds on 18 December 2019, affirmed 22 October 2020; the Court of Appeals declined to hear it on 4 February 2021
PLEA
Not guilty in Virginia (jury verdict 21 August 2018); guilty in D.C. — 14 September 2018
COMPANY
Davis Manafort Partners / DMP International (his consulting firms); client: Ukraine's Party of Regions
Timeline
CASE TIMELINE
Oct 27, 2017
Indicted
Washington.
SOURCE: DOJ
Feb 22, 2018
Indicted
Virginia, 32 counts.
SOURCE: DOJ
Aug 21, 2018
Convicted
Eight counts.
SOURCE: NPR
Mar 13, 2019
Sentenced
7.5 years in all.
SOURCE: CNN
Dec 23, 2020
Pardoned
Full pardon.
SOURCE: White House
Receipts
Pictures and video from the story. Every caption gives when, where and why; tap a name to open that person’s report.
1. Manafort, as Trump campaign chairman, talking to reporters at the Republican National Convention, 17 July 2016
The peak of his political career and the reason the Special Counsel looked at him. Fifteen months later, on 30 October 2017, he surrendered to the FBI on the first Mueller indictment.
IN THIS PICTURE Paul Manafort ▸
Photo: Voice of America (US government work, public domain) · Voice of America footage (17 July 2016) reproduced on Wikimedia Commons, 'Paul Manafort at 2016 RNC.jpg'
2. Viktor Yanukovych, then President of Ukraine, in October 2011: the client whose party paid Manafort more than $60 million
Manafort advised Yanukovych's Party of Regions from 2004 and helped him win the presidency in 2010. The income from that work, routed through Cyprus and other offshore accounts, is the $30 million-plus the indictment says he hid from the IRS. Yanukovych fled to Russia in February 2014.
IN THIS PICTURE Viktor Yanukovych
Photo: Wilson Dias/Agência Brasil, CC BY 3.0 BR · Agência Brasil, 25 October 2011, via Wikimedia Commons ('Agência Brasil 2011 Viktor Yanukovich.jpg')
3. Rick Gates, Manafort's deputy, at the 2016 Republican National Convention, 21 July 2016
Indicted alongside Manafort in October 2017, Gates pleaded guilty in February 2018 and became the government's main witness at the Virginia trial, admitting he had helped hide the Ukraine income and had stolen from Manafort himself. He was sentenced to 45 days of intermittent jail and probation.
IN THIS PICTURE Rick Gates
Photo: Voice of America (US government work, public domain) · Voice of America footage reproduced on Wikimedia Commons, 'Rick Gates at 2016 RNC.jpg'
4. Special Counsel's status report to Judge Jackson, 22 February 2018, listing the 32-count Virginia indictment against Manafort and Gates
The first page sets out the tax counts: false individual income-tax returns for 2010 through 2014. The Virginia jury convicted on five of them, one foreign-bank-account count and two bank-fraud counts on 21 August 2018.
Court filing: US District Court for the District of Columbia (public record) · United States v. Manafort and Gates, Crim. No. 17-201 (ABJ), Document 190, filed 22 February 2018, via Wikimedia Commons ('Indictment against Paul J. Manafort and Richard W. Gates (February 2018).pdf'), page 1
▶ WATCH5. Manafort arriving at the federal courthouse in Washington on the day Judge Jackson revoked his bail, 15 June 2018
Charged with witness tampering after contacting witnesses through Konstantin Kilimnik, Manafort was taken from the courtroom into custody and held at the Northern Neck Regional Jail and later the Alexandria Detention Center. He has been in custody, prison or home confinement from this day until his pardon.
IN THIS PICTURE Paul Manafort ▸
▶ Watch the video · Scripps News, YouTube, 15 June 2018Video: Scripps News · Scripps News, YouTube, 'Judge orders Paul Manafort to jail', June 2018
▶ WATCH6. CNN on the $15,000 ostrich jacket shown to the Virginia jury, August 2018
Prosecutors used the ostrich and python jackets, the $1 million-plus in clothes and the Hamptons landscaping bills to show where the untaxed Ukraine money went. Judge Ellis told them to stop dwelling on the lifestyle; the jury still convicted on eight counts on 21 August 2018.
IN THIS PICTURE Paul Manafort ▸
▶ Watch the video · CNN, YouTube, August 2018Video: CNN · CNN, YouTube, "See Paul Manafort's $15,000 ostrich coat", August 2018
▶ WATCH7. Washington Post report on Manafort's plea deal with the Special Counsel, 14 September 2018
Days before his second trial, Manafort pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice, admitting the FARA, money-laundering and witness-tampering conduct, and agreed to cooperate. Judge Jackson later found he had lied to investigators, voiding the deal.
IN THIS PICTURE Paul Manafort ▸
▶ Watch the video · The Washington Post, YouTube, 14 September 2018Video: The Washington Post · The Washington Post, YouTube, 'Paul Manafort strikes plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller', 14 September 2018
▶ WATCH8. CBS Evening News: Manafort addresses Judge Ellis at his Virginia sentencing, 7 March 2019
Judge T.S. Ellis III gave him 47 months, far below the 19-to-24-year guideline range, remarking that Manafort had lived 'an otherwise blameless life'. Six days later Judge Jackson added 43 months in Washington, for 7.5 years in all.
IN THIS PICTURE Paul Manafort ▸
▶ Watch the video · CBS Evening News, YouTube, 7 March 2019Video: CBS News · CBS Evening News, YouTube, 'Paul Manafort addresses judge at sentencing', 7 March 2019
▶ WATCH9. Courtroom sketch of Manafort at his arraignment on the New York State mortgage-fraud indictment, 27 June 2019
Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance's 16-count indictment was meant to survive a federal pardon. It did not: a state judge dismissed it as double jeopardy on 18 December 2019, the Appellate Division affirmed in October 2020 and the Court of Appeals declined the case in February 2021.
IN THIS PICTURE Paul Manafort ▸
▶ Watch the video · AP Archive, YouTube (sketch 27 June 2019)Sketch: Associated Press courtroom artist, via AP Archive · AP Archive, YouTube, 'Sketch shows Paul Manafort in court in NYC'
10. The Executive Grant of Clemency: President Trump's full and unconditional pardon of Manafort, 23 December 2020
The warrant recites both convictions, the 47- and 73-month sentences and the $25.5 million restitution, then forgives them. A pardon forgives the sentence; the verdicts remain on the record.
Document: US Department of Justice (US government work, public domain) · US Department of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney, pardon warrant of 23 December 2020, via Wikimedia Commons ('Pardon of Paul Manafort.pdf'), page 1
11. Robert S. Mueller III, the Special Counsel whose investigation produced both Manafort cases
Appointed Special Counsel in May 2017, Mueller brought the first indictment of Manafort and Gates in Washington on 27 October 2017 and the Virginia tax and bank-fraud case in February 2018. The Manafort convictions were the Special Counsel's largest trial result.
IN THIS PICTURE Robert Mueller
Photo: Federal Bureau of Investigation (US government work, public domain) · Wikimedia Commons, 'Robert S. Mueller official portrait.jpg', FBI official portrait
Operations
Where they were physically based, what they did in each place and when, and the methods they used. Tap a country or a method for its page.
THE MAP
Born in amber; operated from cyan. Tap a marker for the country page.
🇺🇸 United States — born here
METHODS IN THIS CASE: #10 Tax Evasion / Tax Fraud — Hid $30M+ of income from the IRS · #7 Money Laundering — Laundered it through offshore accounts · #20 Wire Fraud — Bank fraud on loan applications
WHAT THEY DID HERE: 21 Aug 2018 — Convicted on eight of eighteen counts in Alexandria. · 14 Sep 2018 — Pleads guilty to two conspiracy counts in Washington. · Mar 2019 — Sentenced in both courts: 7.5 years in all; pardoned 23 Dec 2020.
🇺🇦 Ukraine — operated here
METHODS IN THIS CASE: #10 Tax Evasion / Tax Fraud — Hid $30M+ of income from the IRS · #7 Money Laundering — Laundered it through offshore accounts · #20 Wire Fraud — Bank fraud on loan applications
WHAT THEY DID HERE: 2005–2014 — Advises Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions; the income is hidden offshore.
OPERATED FROM
Where they were physically based or worked. Tap a country for its page.
🇺🇸 Alexandria, Virginia and Washington, D.C., United States ▸21 Aug 2018Convicted on eight of eighteen counts in Alexandria.SOURCE: NPR
14 Sep 2018Pleads guilty to two conspiracy counts in Washington.SOURCE: CNBC
Mar 2019Sentenced in both courts: 7.5 years in all; pardoned 23 Dec 2020.SOURCE: NPR; CNN
2005–2014Advises Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions; the income is hidden offshore.SOURCE: Indictment
🇨🇾 Cyprus
2008–2014Accounts through which the Ukraine money moved.SOURCE: Indictment
METHODS USED
Tap a method to see where it came from and everyone who used it.
Tax Evasion / Tax FraudHid $30M+ of income from the IRS ▸Money LaunderingLaundered it through offshore accounts ▸Wire FraudBank fraud on loan applications ▸Sources
SOURCES
[1] PRIMARY — E.D. Va. verdict (Aug 21, 2018) and sentence (Mar 7, 2019); D.D.C. plea (Sep 14, 2018) and sentence (Mar 13, 2019)
[2] PRIMARY — People v. Manafort, App. Div. 1st Dept. (Oct 22, 2020); NY Court of Appeals (Feb 4, 2021)
[3] SECONDARY — NPR; CNN; CNBC; White House statement (Dec 23, 2020)
More
KEY FACTS
PAUL MANAFORT
THE PAPERWORK · TAX · BANK FRAUD · FARA · CASE 101 · CONVICTED 2018 · 7.5 YEARS · PARDONED DEC 2020
HIDDEN INCOME
$30M+ from Ukraine, kept from the IRS (indictment)
FORFEITED
~$22M in New York real estate
VIRGINIA
8 of 18 counts · Aug 21, 2018 · 47 months
WASHINGTON
Plea Sep 14, 2018 · 43 more months
IN ALL
7.5 years · ~23 months served
PARDONED
Dec 23, 2020
CONVICTED, THEN PARDONED. A pardon forgives the sentence; the convictions stand. Eight of eighteen Virginia counts, not all; the other ten were admitted in the D.C. plea. $30M is concealed income, not a victim’s loss. No state charge survived.
THE MUELLER CASES
THE DEPUTYPLEADED 2018
Rick Gates
Cooperated
45 days intermittent jail; probation.
SOURCE: DOJ
Photo: Voice of America, public domain
THE ASSOCIATEINDICTED 2018
Konstantin Kilimnik
Obstruction
A fugitive.
SOURCE: DOJ
Photo: FBI (wanted poster) via NBC News
THE STATE CASEDISMISSED 2019
People v. Manafort
Manhattan DA
Double jeopardy; affirmed 2020; leave denied 2021.
SOURCE: NY courts
THE PARDON SETCASES 013, 015
Ulbricht; CZ
Pardoned
Same status class; same rule.
SOURCE: Series
OPEN REPORT ▸
HOW IT WORKED
THE CRIME WAS THE PAPERWORK — PRINCIPLE ONLY
01
The work: Lobbying for a foreign party, legal if registered
02
The registration: Never filed
03
The returns: The income left off them
04
The loans: Applications that said what the banks needed to hear
LEGAL WORK, ILLEGAL PAPER
Earn abroad
-->
Hide offshore
-->
Skip the return
-->
Lie to the bank
-->
Pardoned
WHAT THIS CASE ESTABLISHED
The lobbying was legal. The paperwork was not. Both facts are in the record.
Series link: Cases 013, 015.