Preet Bharara: Paul Manafort May Flip To Avoid A Harsh Sentence

Former U.S Attorney Preet Bharara said he believes one-time Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort may “flip” and provide damaging information on other political associates in exchange for a favorable plea deal.

During an interview on CNN Sunday, Bharara said he’s unsure what evidence Special Counsel Robert Mueller has to back up charges of money laundering, tax evasion and conspiracy, but if convicted, Manafort would spend serious time behind bars.

“They’re pretty straightforward charges that you can prove without many witnesses,” said Bharara, who was fired after President Donald Trump took office. “It’s not a lifetime in prison, but it’s a substantial prison sentence and I expect that Paul Manafort and his lawyers are talking about the idea of cooperating.”

As for George Papadopoulos, Bharara told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that the former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser had “almost certainly” flipped. Papadopoulos is likely “cooperating with the government to provide substantial assistance with respect to someone else higher up in the food chain,” Bharara said.

Last month, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.