Trump: Manafort Conviction ‘Has Nothing to Do With Russian Collusion’

After his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was convicted Tuesday on tax and bank fraud charges, President Donald Trump insisted the conviction “has nothing to do with Russian collusion.” “This is a witch hunt and it’s a disgrace,” he said. Trump also called Manafort a “good man,” noting that he feels “very badly for Paul Manafort.” Manafort was convicted of eight fraud-related counts, including five counts of filing false income tax returns, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of hiding a foreign bank account. Together, these charges could put him behind bars for the rest of his life.