Legal expert and Hill contributor Jonathan Turley said on Wednesday that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort Paul John ManafortOur Constitution is under attack by Attorney General William Barr Bannon trial date set in alleged border wall scam Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention MORE is banking on a pardon from the president after being found guilty on eight charges of bank and tax fraud.

"Even a 10-year sentence at his age could be a life sentence," Turley, who has an op-ed in The Hill on the issue, told Hill.TV's Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton on "Rising."

"For Paul Manafort, the difference between 10 years and 20 years may seem immaterial," Turley said.

A federal jury on Tuesday found Manafort, 69, guilty on eight of 18 charges. Judge T.S. Ellis III declared a mistrial on the remaining 10 counts.

"There's only one person that can give him what he wants and likely needs — and that is a walk-away — and only Donald Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE can do that with a pardon," Turley said. "So I think Manafort is sticking with this pardon strategy. He wants to see if he can get the one thing he needs the most."

Tuesday's conviction was a win for special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE. However, the charges against Manafort were not directly related to the 2016 presidential campaign.

Manafort will face a second federal criminal trial in Washington next month on charges such as money laundering, conspiracy, failing to register as a foreign lobbyist, and making false statements and misleading federal agents.

Trump ramped up his rhetoric against Mueller's Russia probe during Manafort's trial, referring to the investigation as a "witch hunt" and saying Manafort was being treated worse than mobster Al Capone.

Turley went on to say that a pardon for Manafort could be politically risky for the president ahead of November's midterms, when Democrats could take back the House, raising the possibility of impeachment proceedings.

"With the odds of impeachment growing with the possible takeover of the Democratic House, a pardon of Paul Manafort would not go well," Turley said.

"Trump could thread that needle and pardon him for everything but Russian collusion-related crimes," he said, while noting that critics might see that as Trump obstructing Mueller's probe.

— Julia Manchester