Judge T.S. Ellis in the Eastern District of Virginia said in a court order he wanted to delay the sentencing until the other judge ruled on whether Manafort had knowingly lied to investigators in breach of his plea deal, noting that such a decision “may have some effect on the sentencing decision in this case.” Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating U.S. allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and whether Trump campaign members coordinated with Moscow officials. Judge Amy Berman Jackson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia last week ordered Manafort’s lawyers and lawyers from Mueller’s office to appear on Feb. 4 for a sealed hearing to hash out whether Manafort violated his plea deal.
