WASHINGTON (AP) Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort agreed Friday to cooperate with the special counsels Russia investigation as he pleaded guilty to federal charges and avoided a second trial that could have exposed him to even greater punishment.
The deal gives special counsel Robert Mueller a key cooperator who led the Trump election effort for a crucial stretch during the 2016 presidential campaign. The result also ensures the investigation will extend far beyond the November congressional elections despite entreaties from the presidents lawyers that Mueller bring…
