Manafort gets 47 months, judge cites mostly 'blameless' life

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for tax and bank fraud related to his work advising Ukrainian politicians, much less than what was called for under sentencing guidelines.

Manafort, sitting in a wheelchair as he deals with complications from gout, had no visible reaction as he heard the 47-month sentence. While that was the longest sentence to date to come from special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, it could have been much worse for Manafort.

Sentencing guidelines called for a 20-year term, effectively a lifetime sentence for the 69-year-old.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he feels "very badly" for Manafort.

"I think it's been a very, very tough time for him," Trump said before leaving Washington to survey tornado damage in Alabama.

Judge TS Ellis III, discussing character reference letters submitted by Manafort's friends and family, said Manafort had lived an "otherwise blameless life."
Outside court, Manafort's lawyer Kevin Downing said his client accepted responsibility for his conduct "and there was absolutely no evidence that Mr Manafort was involved in any collusion with the government of Russia."