Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman has cut a “cooperation agreement” with US prosecutors and intends to plead guilty to charges related to his Ukrainian consulting work.
The deal allows Paul Manafort to avoid a second trial that had been scheduled to start next week in Washington.
Manafort was convicted last month of eight financial crimes in a separate trial in Virginia.
Manafort told the judge he wants to plead guilty.
His second trial would have been related to Ukrainian political consulting work, including failing to register as a foreign agent.
The White House said Manafort’s decision to plead guilty and cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller is “totally unrelated” to the president.
Press secretary Sarah Sanders said: “This had absolutely nothing to do with the President or his victorious 2016 Presidential campaign. It is totally unrelated.”
