AP
The first week of Paul Manafort's criminal trial rapidly took off, as the prosecution used some of Manafort's closest financial associates to begin mapping out a case for the charges against him.
Manafort is the former chairman of President Donald Trump's campaign. He is the defendant in two criminal indictments brought by the special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to tilt the race in Trump's favor.
The indictment at the center of the current trial was brought in the Eastern District of Virginia and charges Manafort with tax fraud, bank fraud, and failure to report foreign bank accounts. Manafort's longtime deputy, Rick Gates, was initially a codefendant until he struck a plea deal with prosecutors in February and began cooperating with the government. He is the prosecution's star witness in this case and is expected to testify against Manafort early next week.
This week, the jury heard testimony from several critical people, including Manafort's longtime bookkeeper and accountants, all of whom testified to Manafort's alleged financial fraud. The jury also heard from purveyors of luxury goods as prosecutors sought to highlight Manafort's extravagant lifestyle which they say he financed with illicit funds.