Manafort back in court to hash out details of his sentencing

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is due back in a Virginia courtroom to decide whether he will be sentenced on fraud charges before or after he completes his co-operation with prosecutors.

Manafort was convicted in federal court in Alexandria on tax- and bank-fraud charges largely unconnected to his work on the Trump campaign.

After his conviction, Manafort struck a plea deal on separate charges in the District of Columbia and agreed to co-operate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

Prosecutors had wanted to delay Manafort’s sentencing until his co-operation was complete, but Virginia Judge T.S. Ellis expressed concerns about the delay and scheduled a hearing for Friday afternoon.

Manafort will appear in court in a prison jumpsuit; the judge denied a request he be allowed to wear civilian clothes.