Alexandria, Virginia (CNN) A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, granted the request Monday for five witnesses to testify with immunity in the criminal trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, the first trial in the Russia investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.

US District Judge T.S. Ellis also delayed the start of the trial, originally scheduled for Wednesday, to July 31.

Ellis will begin meeting jurors this week as scheduled. When jury selection begins, one question potential jurors will not be asked is how they voted in the 2016 presidential election.

"Of course people can be fair and impartial no matter who they voted for," Ellis said.

The jury will consist of 16 people, including four alternates.

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