- Manhattan judge rules that Manhattan DA Cy Vance’s attempt to prosecute disgraced Trump campaign chairman is invalid
- Judge Maxwell Wiley agreed with Manafort’s attorneys that double jeopardy laws prevent the prosecution going ahead
- Vance had charged Manafort with mortgage fraud but Wiley ruled that he had already been convicted of ‘overlapping’ crime in federal court
- Manafort is serving federal sentence and not due for release until Christmas Day 2024 but is currently in hospital after a ‘cardiac event’Â Â Â
- Ruling opens way for a presidential pardon or commutation which would free Manafort
- Until now he would have still faced jail in New York under state laws, which are not covered by presidential pardon powersÂ
- New York lawmakers and governor Andrew Cuomo changed state’s double jeopardy laws toÂ
- Manhattan DA Cy Vance is to appeal the decision to dismiss the prosecutionÂ
Paul Manafort’s state charges in New York were thrown out by a judge on Wednesday in a dramatic court victory for the former Trump campaign chairman.
He won a claim that the prosecution brought by Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance, was invalidated by ‘double jeopardy’ laws because it overlapped with the federal crimes of which he was convicted earlier this year.
However Manafort remains in federal custody and is not scheduled for release until Christmas Day 2024.
But the judge’s ruling opens the way for Donald Trump to set Manafort entirely free by presidential pardon or by commuting his sentence.
Previously such a move would have been futile as Manafort would have faced prison under New York state laws, which are beyond the presidential pardon power.
The Manhattan criminal court hearing went ahead without the Republican fixer as he recovers in hospital near his low-security federal prison in Pennsylvania following a ‘cardiac event’.
Trump’s former campaign chairman, 70, faced state charges of residential mortgage fraud, conspiracy and falsifying business records in New York.