President Trump claimed Friday that the judge who sentenced his former campaign manager Paul Manafort to four years in prison backed up his argument that he never colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election.
During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Judge T.S. Ellis made it clear that his sentencing decision was about the fraud and financial crimes committed by Manafort, and noted that Manafort “is not before the court for any allegation that he or anybody under his direction colluded with the Russian government in the 2016 campaign.”
Trump took those comments as support for the argument that there is no evidence of collusion anywhere.
“Both the Judge and the lawyer in the Paul Manafort case stated loudly and for the world to hear that there was NO COLLUSION with Russia,” Trump tweeted Friday morning. “But the Witch Hunt Hoax continues as you now add these statements to House & Senate Intelligence & Senator Burr. So bad for our Country!”
Both the Judge and the lawyer in the Paul Manafort case stated loudly and for the world to hear that there was NO COLLUSION with Russia. But the Witch Hunt Hoax continues as you now add these statements to House & Senate Intelligence & Senator Burr. So bad for our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 8, 2019
Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, was sentenced to 47 months in federal prison on Thursday, far short of the 19 to 24 years recommended by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Manafort was found guilty of five counts of tax fraud, two bank fraud charges, and one charge of hiding foreign bank accounts. Those violations were found while Mueller was conducting his investigation into alleged collusion between Trump and his associates and Russia during the 2016 presidential election.
