Behind-the-scenes drama that almost sank Paul Manafort’s trial
Newark/Washington/Wilton — Court transcripts show Paul Manafort’s trial came close to being delcared a mistrial, while a juror has described how a single holdout on the jury led to a mistrial being declared on 10 of the 18 counts he faced. The transcripts, made public after Trump’s former campaign chairman was convicted of tax and bank fraud this week, reveal that the judge considered a mistrial before the case went to the jury because one juror complained that others on the panel had improperly discussed the case. US District Judge TS Ellis refused a mistrial bid on August 14 by Manafort. The judge rejected a second mistrial request over a separate dispute on August 20, a day before the jury convicted Manafort on eight of the 18 counts he faced, according to transcripts unsealed Wednesday. Ellis conducted a series of extraordinary closed-door hearings, starting on August 10, saying he wanted to avoid creating "pandemonium in the media" as he sought to determine whether jurors weigh...
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