Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s lawyers have pushed back on the special counsel’s charges. In a nine-page, heavily-redacted statement filed on Wednesday, they wrote that the evidence Mueller has presented “merely demonstrates a lack of consistency in Mr. Manafort’s recollection of certain facts and events.” | Alex Wong/Getty Images legal Manafort to confront lying charges in court Friday Robert Mueller has accused the former Trump campaign chairman of lying during grand jury testimony and in cooperation sessions with the special counsel.

A federal judge has ordered Paul Manafort to appear in court Friday morning to address Robert Mueller’s charges that the former Trump campaign chairman lied during grand jury testimony and in cooperation sessions with the special counsel.

U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued a one-paragraph order Wednesday denying the longtime GOP operative’s request that he remain in his Alexandria, Va., jail cell while his attorneys appear on his behalf for the hearing.


“Given the number of court appearances defendant has been permitted to waive, the significance of the issues at stake, and the fact that his being available to consult with counsel may reduce the likelihood that the defense position with respect to the issues discussed will change after the hearing, defendant's motion is denied,” Jackson wrote.

Jackson is scheduled to sentence Manafort on March 5 for his guilty plea on conspiracy against the U.S. and conspiracy to obstruct justice. But before she gets there, Jackson must deal with other Mueller allegations that Manafort lied to prosecutors. Investigators have said Manafort misled them about his contacts with the Trump administration and a longtime Ukrainian aide with ties to Russian intelligence.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Manafort’s lawyers have pushed back on the special counsel’s charges. In a nine-page, heavily redacted statement filed on Wednesday, they wrote that the evidence Mueller has presented “merely demonstrates a lack of consistency in Mr. Manafort’s recollection of certain facts and events.”

As part of his plea deal, the one-time consultant met more than a dozen times with Mueller’s team and made a pair of grand jury appearances to discuss his time with the campaign and work in Ukraine.

“Many of these events occurred years ago, or during a high-pressure U.S. presidential campaign he managed when his time was extraordinarily limited, or during the difficult time that followed his departure from the 2016 presidential campaign because of the allegations leveled at him and the investigations that followed,” Manafort's lawyers wrote.

Mueller claims Manafort wasn’t forthcoming about his contacts with the Trump administration, including efforts in January 2017 to get people jobs with the incoming administration.

Manafort has also been accused of lying about his interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik, the Russian-Ukrainian citizen who served as a business partner in Ukraine during several political campaigns where both men were highly paid consultants. Manafort’s lawyers earlier this month inadvertently revealed that their client had shared Trump campaign polling data during the 2016 election with Kiliminik, who remains at large despite also being charged in Mueller’s wide-ranging probe.

Jackson has said she’ll review all the filings on Mueller’s latest charges against Manafort before deciding whether she’ll proceed with Friday’s hearing.

Manafort’s attorneys have previously told Jackson they don’t need a hearing to hash out Mueller’s allegations, offering instead to resolve the issue via presentencing reports. Mueller’s lawyers last week told Jackson they think she could rule based off the court filings but were prepared to call witnesses if Manafort put up a fight.

Manafort is also scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 8 by U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis for his convictions on tax and bank fraud stemming from his Northern Virginia trial.