Tuesday July 31, on the ninth floor of the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, Uzo Asonye delivered the prosecution's opening statement to a packed room. It was the first day in the trial of Paul Manafort, renowned lobbyist, election consultant and former chairman of President Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
Mr Manafort's trial is the first legal action initiated by Robert Mueller, the United States' Special Counsel investigating Russian interference in the United States' 2016 elections; but the charges against the president's one-time henchman has nothing to do with politics or elections. Case 1:18 Cr. 83 (TSE)(S-1) levies 18 counts of tax evasion, bank fraud and conspiracy against Mr Manafort. That is why Mr Asonye, an expert in criminal law, government and administrative law, white collar defence and corporate investigations, was lead prosecutor that morning.
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