Court Dismisses New York Manafort Mortgage Fraud Case

Dec 18, 2019

A judge cited double jeopardy in throwing out New York State mortgage fraud criminal charges against Paul Manafort, a former 2016 campaign chief for Donald Trump.

According to a CNBC report, the 70-year-old Manafort was charged with mortgage fraud, conspiracy and falsifying business records in a case by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., a Democrat. Manafort, a longtime Republican operative, was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison on similar federal charges earlier this year, and there was speculation that Vance brought the charges in the event Trump would pardon Manafort–a President can only pardon an individual for federal crimes, not state crimes.

However, Judge Maxwell Wiley of the Manhattan Supreme Court issued a 26-page ruling that found Vance’s office “conceded that the charges” against Manafort in the federal indictment against him “were based on the same acts and transactions that form the basis of all the charges in this New York State indictment.”

“Given the rather unique set of facts pertaining to the defendant’s previous prosecution in federal court, and given New York’s law on this subject, defendant’s motion to dismiss the indictment as barred by state double jeopardy must be granted,” Wiley wrote.

A spokesman for Vance insisted the case would be appealed. Manafort, who is serving time in a Pennsylvania prison, was hospitalized last week after experiencing what ABC News reported to be a “cardiac event.”

About the author

Phil Hall

Link copied

Published

Dec 18, 2019

Analysis and Data

Redfin: Homebuyers Gain Leverage, But Pending Sales Keep Sliding

Pending sales fall 16.4% from a year ago despite lower home prices and mortgage payments, as sellers retreat from a weakening market

Home prices are falling. Mortgage payments are easing. Sellers are becoming more willing to negotiate. Yet the housing market keeps losing buyers.Pending home sales fell 16.4% year over year during the four weeks ending Nov. 1, reaching their lowest level in Redfin's weekly ...

Tech

New AI-Run Mortgage Startup Builds Database Of 224,000 LOs

LenDb.ai is making LO records available to AI assistants, offering a potential new way for borrowers to find originators

A new mortgage technology startup is betting that borrowers will increasingly turn to artificial intelligence to find a loan originator, and it wants to make sure AI knows whom to recommend.LenDb.ai, launched Thursday by venture studio Draper Goren Blockchain, has assembled ...

Feb

Atlanta, GA

More from

Regulation and Compliance

CFPB Closes 40% Of Investigations, Keeps Mortgage Enforcement In Focus

The federal watchdog closed thousands of supervisory and investigative matters as it narrowed oversight

Regulation and Compliance

Nov 05, 2026

Midterms Loom With Mortgage Policy Changes Already In Motion

As voters head to the polls Tuesday, Washington is weighing changes to refinancing costs, loan pricing, and lending regulations

Regulation and Compliance

Nov 02, 2026

UAD 3.6 Deadline Is Monday. Are Brokers Ready?

Wholesale lenders have adopted different rules for appraisal transfers, loan product changes, and reporting formats, adding complications for brokers and appraisers ahead of the Nov. 2 mandate

Regulation and Compliance

Oct 27, 2026

Friday Harbor Expands AI Appraisal Reviews As UAD 3.6 Deadline Nears

The new capability adds more than 350 automated checks as lenders prepare for the November 2 mandate

Tech

Oct 27, 2026

The Hidden Cost Of Appraisal Uncertainty

As home equity lending grows, lenders need a better way to resolve conflicting property evidence before it creates costly setbacks

Regulation and Compliance

Oct 25, 2026