Paul Manafort’s Virginia sentencing scheduled for March 8

A federal judge Thursday scheduled Paul Manafort to be sentenced March 8 in Virginia for financial fraud crimes.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III issued a one-page order for the former Trump campaign chairman, who was convicted by a federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, last summer on eight felony counts of bank and tax fraud.

Last week, special counsel Robert Mueller’s team recommended Manafort serve at least 19 years for the crime and pay a fine ranging from $50,000 to $24.4 million.

Judge Ellis had scheduled Manafort’s sentencing for early February, but pushed it back so attorneys could resolve a dispute over whether he intentionally lied to prosecutors, violating his plea deal.

Manafort also has a March 13 sentencing date in a separate case brought by Mr. Mueller in Washington. He pleaded guilty to two conspiracy charges in September in exchange for avoiding a trial.

Prosecutors must submit a sentencing recommendation in that case by Friday.

Although the cases are separate, both were brought by Mr. Mueller’s team.

Manafort was expected to be a key witness for Mr. Mueller’s team. But his cooperation deal broke down after the special counsel accused him of lying about several subjects. His attorneys contend the misstatements were not intentional, but rather Manafort was confused or struggled to remember facts.

Last week, Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is overseeing Manafort’s Washington case, concluded he did lie about subjects that were “material to the investigation.”