In opening statements for the defense, Paul Manafort's defense attorney Thomas Zehnle laid out the bare bones of his side of the case, shifting much of the blame to the Ukrainian oligarchs that Manafort worked for and the business associates he worked with.

"This is the way that they required it to be done," Zehnle said, explaining why oligarchs paid Manafort through secret foreign accounts. Prosecutors said Tuesday that Manafort hid 30 foreign bank accounts from US authorities.

Of Manafort's associates, like longtime deputy Rick Gates, Zehnle said this:

"He trusted them to speak with one another and make sure things were done right."

Gates pleaded guilty earlier this year to participating in Manafort's alleged financial conspiracy and is slated to testify against Manafort. Both men were top officials in President Trump's campaign, but that is not part of the criminal case.

Zehnle specifically attacked Gates and called him "the prosecution's star witness."