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Ex-Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort Jailed After New Mueller Indictment

Manafort is accused of witness tampering.

WASHINGTON ― Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, was ordered jailed by a federal judge on Friday after being arraigned on a new charge of witness tampering.

“I cannot turn a blind eye to this,” Judge Amy Berman Jackson said, according to NBC News.

According to multiple reporters in the courtroom, Manafort — who has been under house arrest in Virginia since October — was taken into custody immediately after the judge’s ruling. He will remain in custody until his trial, which is expected to begin in early September.

Special counsel Robert Mueller secured an indictment earlier this month saying Manafort attempted to reach witnesses with an encrypted messaging program while he was awaiting trial in an attempt to “suborn perjury,” according to one of those witnesses.

Prosecutor Greg Andres said Friday that Manafort also used a tactic called “foldering” to secretly communicate with people:

Manafort pleaded not guilty to those charges, and his attorneys argued that the judge could take other steps aside from jailing their client to cease any improper contact, such as issuing an order specifically barring Manafort from contacting potential witnesses.

Jackson, however, disagreed.

This isn’t middle school, I can’t take your phone,” she said.

She also dismissed accusations that the special counsel’s indictment for witness tampering was politically motivated.

This is not about politics,” Jackson said, according to Politico. “It is not about the conduct of the Office of Special Counsel. It is about the defendant’s alleged conduct.”

Manafort was charged last October with conspiracy and money laundering as part of Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump’s campaign actively colluded with Russian officials to sway the outcome of the 2016 campaign. He has also denied those allegations.

Trump tweeted a response to Manafort’s jailing, defending his former campaign manager.

This story has been updated to include more information about the charges against Manafort.

Ryan Reilly is HuffPost’s senior justice reporter, covering the Justice Department, federal law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs. Have a tip? Reach him at ryan.reilly@huffpost.com or on Signal at 202-527-9261.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.