Mueller adds to Manafort’s rap sheet

Special counsel Robert Mueller charged former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and one of his associates with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to an indictment unsealed Friday. Prosecutors accuse Manafort and Konstantin Kalimnik of trying to influence two witnesses who planned to testify that Manafort’s work on behalf of Ukraine extended into the United States and not just Europe, as his defense lawyers claim. Manafort already faces charges of money-laundering conspiracy, false statement, and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Mueller uncovered the alleged crimes while investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, but the accusations do not relate to Manafort’s work on the Trump campaign. Manafort is awaiting trial while his co-defendant, Rick Gates pleaded guilty in February and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.