Effectively consolidating and resolving the two criminal cases against him in Washington and in Virginia federal courts, former Trump Campaign Chief Paul Manafort pleaded guilty to two conspiracy charges brought up by Robert Mueller, CNBC reported Friday.
Manafort's guilty plea relates to money earned from consulting work on behalf of pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine, but his plea deal with Mueller further complicates matters for President Trump, who continues to face legal and political danger.
For Robert Mueller -- head of the Special Counsel investigation surrounding alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election -- Manafort's guilty plea is another victory. It follows a set of guilty pleas from some of Trump's closest confidants: former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Campaign Adviser George Papadopoulos, and former Trump campaign official Rick Gates.
Furthermore, Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty last month to charges brought by federal prosecutors in the state of New York.
Apart from probing alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections -- and possible coordination with the Trump campaign -- Mueller is eying President Trump for possible obstruction of justice.
All of the above has made Robert Mueller one of Donald Trump's favorite targets. President Trump has referred to Mueller's Russia probe as a "witch hunt" on multiple occasions, attacking Robert Mueller and questioning the legitimacy of his investigations.
"Russia hoax," and "no collusion," are some of the phrases Trump has used to discredit Mueller, calling his special counsel a political "witch hunt."
He has also accused Special Counsel of wasting taxpayer's money multiple times. Those days may be coming to an end, causing President Trump to find a new avenue of attack on Mueller, as the investigation may have just paid for itself with Manafort's guilty plea, according to the Washington Post.
