Paul Manafort, former chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, and his business associate Richard Gates are at risk of fleeing, prosecutors believe.
“The defendants pose a risk of flight based on the serious nature of the charges, their history of deceptive and misleading conduct, the potentially significant sentences the defendants face, the strong evidence of guilt, their significant financial resources, and their foreign connections,” the court documents unsealed Tuesday say.
Manafort has a significant amount of wealth. Between 2012 and 2016, he listed his assets to be between $19 million and $136 million, Fox News reports.
According to The Washington Post, Manafort keeps three different U.S. passports and has submitted ten passport applications in the past few years. He also has foreign connections.
The filing shows that Manafort used the fake name for his phone and email account when he traveled to Mexico, China, and Ecuador this year.
The prosecutors have also written that Manafort has wealthy ties to Moscow and Kiev through his previous business dealings. The possibility of flight increases when his travel schedule is reviewed. In the past few years, the 68-years old had many connections overseas. Considering the fact that the guilty verdict carries a sentence of 12 to 15 years, Manafort might be more inclined to flee.
Manafort pleaded not guilty Monday after being indicted on 12 counts by a federal grand jury as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible Russian meddling in last years presidential election. The counts include conspiracy against the U.S., conspiracy to launder money, an unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading Foreign Agent Registration (FARA) statements, false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign banks and financial accounts.
The bail for Manafort is ten million dollars and he will go back to court Thursday to hear the terms of the bail.
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