Lawyers for Manafort seek leniency at sentencing

WASHINGTON — Lawyers for Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, have asked a federal judge in Northern Virginia to show leniency when he sentences Manafort this week, casting him as a loyal, compassionate, idealistic man who has learned a “harsh lesson.”

They said Manafort, who has been jailed since June, had already suffered greatly for his crimes. At age 69, plagued by health problems, he poses no risk of recidivism, they said.

Their sentencing memorandum was submitted Friday to Judge T.S. Ellis of U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va. Ellis will sentence Manafort on Thursday for tax fraud, bank fraud and other financial crimes.