Manafort Jury Tensions Threatened Mistrial Before Verdict
- Juror fingerpointing nearly undermined first Mueller trial
- Judge asked all the jurors if they still had open minds
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Court transcripts made public after Paul Manafort was convicted of tax and bank fraud this week reveal that the judge considered a mistrial before the case went to the jury because one juror complained that others on the panel had improperly discussed the case.
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III refused a mistrial bid on Aug. 14 by Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman. The judge rejected a second mistrial request over a separate dispute on Aug. 20, a day before the jury convicted Manafort on eight of the 18 counts he faced, according to transcripts unsealed Wednesday.