These Were the Closing Arguments in Manafort’s Virginia Trial

Lawyers at the Paul Manafort fraud trial finished their closing arguments, offering sharply contrasting portraits of the man who served as Donald Trump’s campaign chairman in 2016. Prosecutors for Special Counsel Robert Mueller depicted Manafort a man who failed to tell U.S. tax authorities about millions of dollars he stashed overseas, and later lied to banks so that he could obtain $20 million in loans when he needed cash. Manafort’s lawyers depicted him as the innocent victim of his right-hand man, Rick Gates, who they say embezzled millions of dollars and lied to jurors to avoid prison. Manafort’s case is the first to go to trial for Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Prosecutor Greg Andres used his final 15 minutes of closing argument to hammer home the government’s position that Manafort directed his bank fraud and tax crimes, while Gates, his right-hand man, played only a supporting role.