Former Trump Campaign Chairman Refuses to Testify in Court

Paul Manafort, the former chairman of Donald Trump's campaign, has declined to testify and his lawyers did not call any other witnesses during the proceedings regarding tax and bank fraud charges. As a result, the court is expected to announce the conclusion of the sessions soon. Manafort's lawyers' decision not to call another witness opens the way for final defenses and accusations, and it is anticipated that the sessions will conclude on August 15, U.S. time. After that, the jury will deliberate on the 18 charges against him. This case is the first trial related to Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia and the U.S. elections. Manafort faces 18 charges; the core of these charges pertains to concealing a significant portion of the $60 million he received through a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine. He is accused of hiding this money in foreign bank accounts and failing to pay taxes on it. His first court session was held on July 30. Manafort has not accepted any of the charges against him. Manafort's defense attorneys are attempting to shift the blame onto Rick Gates, his former deputy. Gates accepted a plea deal after Mueller's indictment against him and cooperated with the investigation. He is considered the main witness in the trial. Manafort's lawyers have accused Gates of lying, greed, and embezzlement. Manafort's decision not to defend himself was announced after a two-hour closed session of the court. Judicial officials have not provided an explanation for the closed session, but they stated that the text will be published after the case concludes. Manafort's lawyers have claimed that the government has not substantiated its case and has not provided sufficient evidence. The government alleges that Manafort concealed at least $16 million of his earnings from tax authorities between 2010 and 2014. Legal experts had noted that although the prosecution stated it would not present evidence of potential collusion between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia during this trial, it would seek to gather more information about Manafort's relationships with Russia and Ukrainian oligarchs. The U.S. President has repeatedly denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia. Moscow has denied allegations of interference in the U.S. elections.