It’s a pretty interesting ironic twist of fate. Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team on Friday began to seize a Trump Tower condo.
The condo was owned by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and it is among the four other listed properties in New York that the special counsel is seeking to seize, according to court documents. Three bank accounts and one life insurance policy are also the target of the forfeiture.
This effort comes on the heels of Manafort pleading guilty last month to one count of conspiracy against the U.S. and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice after trying to tamper with witnesses.
A portion of the plea deal caused Manafort to forfeit multiple assets, including the condo and bank accounts. Prosecutors said in the court filing that the government would take control and custody on or after Oct. 20 of the Trump Tower condo and a luxury estate in the Hamptons.
Manafort will keep the properties in Florida and Virginia, where his family lives.
Trump’s former campaign chairman admitted that he laundered money and violated foreign lobbying laws while working for pro-Russian Ukrainians. But the charges of money laundering and lobbying violations could be dropped if Manafort cooperates with investigators.
Prosecutor Andrew Weissmann told the judge last month that Manafort’s deal includes a cooperation agreement with prosecutors. They continue to investigate whether any Trump associates played a role in Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election. Manafort could be included in interviews with prosecutors and also testify in court.
In August, in a separate trial in Virginia, a federal jury found Manafort guilty on eight counts of federal tax and banking crimes. He faces up to 10 years on these charges in Washington. And he still faces sentencing for his guilty verdict in Virginia.
Do you think Manafort will cooperate with Mueller?
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