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High Profile Lawyers Busted: Cohen Accepts Plea Deal, Manafort Found Guilty

By George Khoury, Esq. on August 21, 2018 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

It's been a big day for high profile attorneys getting busted. Attorney Michael Cohen, known for his former role as President Donald Trump's lawyer-fixer, has accepted a plea deal. And on the same day, Paul Manafort was found guilty.

The shocking news isn't wholly unexpected. The media coverage of both scandals indicated that Cohen was going to cooperate with authorities and that Manafort was just doomed from the get-go.

Cohen Pleaded Guilty

Cohen entered his plea of guilty to five counts of tax evasion, one count of false statements to a financial institution, another count of willful cause of unlawful corporate contribution, and finally one count for an excessive campaign contribution. He is anticipated to receive between three to five years in jail.

His sentencing is not happening until December 12, and he is out on a half million dollar bond.

Manafort Found Guilty

Surprisingly, around the same time as the news of Cohen's plea deal, the jury returned a verdict in the Manafort trial. Manafort was found guilty on five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failing to file foreign bank account reports. The remaining 10 counts, which the jury could not agree upon, were declared a mistrial (allowing the charges to be brought again if prosecutors so choose).

Making matters even worse for Manafort, who unlike Cohen isn't out on bond pending sentencing, is that he is facing another trial in September over separate charges.

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