Ex-Trump aide Manafort had 'huge dumpster of hidden money,' jury told

DOCTORED STATEMENTS

Prosecutors say Manafort, 69, tried to mislead bankers with doctored financial statements in 2015 and 2016 to secure more than $20 million in loans and failed to pay taxes on more than$15 million that he earned as a political consultant in Ukraine.

Defense lawyers decided not to call any witnesses in the trial, and Manafort, a veteran Republican political operative,did not testify in his own defense.

In their closing argument, defense counsel argued that Manafort had been transparent with the banks and that any issues with his financial situation were well known to them before they extended him the loans.

They also sought to emphasize the idea that Manafort did not knowingly break the law - a requirement for conviction - and was rather failed by the bookkeepers, accountants and other professionals in whom he trusted his financial affairs.

"Sometimes the people we rely on are trustworthy. Sometimes they are not," said lawyer Richard Westling.

The defense took particular aim at Gates, who admitted in court to an extramarital affair. Gates also said he helped Manafort doctor financial statements, hide foreign income and evade hundreds of thousands of dollars in US income taxes.

Manafort's attorneys have portrayed Gates as living a secret life of infidelity and embezzlement. Defense lawyer Kevin Downing told the jury that Gates had shown himself to be a liar.

"He came in here trying to look all clean shaven," Downing said. "He came in here and tried to get one over on you."

Manafort made millions of dollars working for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians before taking an unpaid position with Trump's campaign. He was on the campaign team for five months and led it in mid-2016 when Trump was selected as the Republican presidential nominee.

Prosecutors say Manafort hid money in offshore bank accounts and then used it to pay for over $6 million in New York and Virginia real estate, items such as antique rugs and fancy clothes, including a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich skin.

If found guilty on all 18 charges by the 12-person jury, he could face eight to 10 years in prison, according to sentencing expert Justin Paperny.

Manafort also faces a second trial in September in Washington, where he is accused of failing to disclose lobbying for Ukrainian politicians, among other crimes.

After the defense concluded its closing argument, Andres objected to Downing's suggestions that a civil audit would have been more appropriate for Manafort's tax issues and that Mueller's office had unfairly singled him out.

Judge T.S. Ellis sided with Andres, and when he later gaveinstructions to jurors, he told them that the government was notrequired to do a civil tax audit before bringing criminalcharges. He also instructed them to ignore any argument about the Department of Justice's motives in bringing the case.

"We don't want the jury deciding this case on that issue,"Ellis said earlier.