Manafort Trial Moves To Closing Arguments, Ex-Trump Aide Will Not Testify - Attorney

Former Trump presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort declined to testify in the banking and tax fraud case against him, with his lawyers declining to call rebuttal witnesses and moving the trial to closing arguments, according to his attorney Kevin Downing on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2018) Former Trump presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort declined to testify in the banking and tax fraud case against him, with his lawyers declining to call rebuttal witnesses and moving the trial to closing arguments, according to his attorney Kevin Downing on Tuesday.

"We believe the government has failed to meet their burden of proof and weve rested on that," Downing told reporters outside court, as quoted by Fox news.

Addressing the court for the first time during his trial, Manafort stood up and told Judge T.S. Ellis III that he did not want to testify, the report explained.

Manafort, 69, has pleaded not guilty to tax evasion and bank fraud charges based on allegations that he hid income from the US Internal Revenue Service that was earned working for a Ukrainian political party.