President Trump Says he Feels 'Very Badly' For Manafort

Courtesy: MGN

Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been indicted in New York on state charges, seen as a strategy for preventing a potential presidential pardon.

An indictment unsealed Wednesday in Manhattan accuses the 69-year-old Manafort of conducting a yearlong residential mortgage fraud scheme that netted millions of dollars.

The indictment filed March 7 was unsealed the same day Manafort was sentenced in Washington in the second of two federal cases against him.

He would serve more than seven years in prison in those cases. Trump has repeatedly defended him and floated the idea of granting a pardon, but would not be able to do so in a state case.

During sentencing, Manafort said, "I am sorry for what I have done and for all the activities that have gotten us here today." He added, "Your honor, I will be 70 years old in a few weeks. Please let my wife and I be together."

After a short recess, the judge told the court, "It is hard to overstate the number of lies and the amount of fraud and the extraordinary amount of money involved" in Manafort's crimes.

Manafort faced up to 10 additional years in prison when he's sentenced.

The hearing comes a week after a judge in Virginia sentenced Manafort to 47 months in prison, far below what government guidelines recommended.

The Mueller team has prosecuted Manafort in both jurisdictions for charges related to his foreign consulting work. He was convicted at trial in the Virginia case and pleaded guilty in Washington to two conspiracy counts, each punishable by up to five years in prison.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)