The filing could give new ammunition to Mr. Manafort’s defense team, which has argued that prosecutors overreached in accusing Mr. Manafort of lying because they were too eager to believe Mr. Gates. Lawyers for Mr. Manafort have repeatedly contended that Mr. Gates, who has been cooperating with Mr. Mueller’s team for the past year, is not a credible witness. The subject in dispute was unclear from the filing, but one issue that prosecutors have said that Mr. Manafort lied about was whether he ordered Mr. Gates to give Trump campaign polling data to Mr. Kilimnik before the election. That ruling could influence the severity of the punishment Mr. Manafort receives as a result of two prosecutions by the special counsel’s office. The combined sentences could mean that Mr. Manafort, 69, spends the rest of his life in prison.

Source: New York Times February 28, 2019 00:45 UTC