Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, hospitalized
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who has been serving a seven-year prison sentence in Pennsylvania, has been hospitalized, CBS News confirmed Tuesday. His lawyer, Todd Blanche, said in a statement that Manafort's "family and friends are extremely concerned about his health and still do not have a full understanding of his medical condition or well-being."
Manafort was supposed to be in court in New York City Wednesday, where he's facing state charges of mortgage fraud, in addition to other financial crimes. He is not expected to attend.
Blanche added that his "condition is stable." He added that Manafort's family was unaware of his condition until a reporter called to ask about him. But according to Blanche, "the Bureau of Prisons refused to provide any information to his family or me about Mr. Manafort's condition or whereabouts, apart from stating he was 'safe,' citing privacy and safety concerns. This notwithstanding Mr. Manafort had apparently been in a hospital since last Thursday."
Manafort was charged in two cases by special counsel Robert Mueller's office and was found guilty of bank fraud, tax and evasion. He also pleaded guilty to conspiring against the U.S. and conspiring to obstruct justice last year. He has been serving his time at a federal prison in Loretto, Pennsylvania.
The Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on Manafort, saying, "For safety and security and privacy reasons, we cannot provide specific information about an inmate's medical condition."
On Tuesday, Rick Gates, Manafort's former business partner, was sentenced to 45 days in jail on counts of conspiracy and lying to federal investigators. Gates pleaded guilty to two counts in February 2018, admitting he lied to federal investigators and helped Manafort conceal millions of dollars in overseas payments. Gates agreed to cooperate with the government, becoming the star witness in high-profile trials of three others charged in the Mueller probe, including Manafort.
At Manafort's trial on charges of bank fraud and other financial crimes, Gates, who had been Manafort's right-hand man and his deputy when he was the chairman of the Trump campaign, provided crucial testimony against his former boss, telling jurors Manafort had instructed him to forge financial documents and IRS forms.
