Paul Manafort trial 'to focus on Ukrainian money, shell companies and extravagant spending' rather than 2016 election

The trial of Donald Trump’s campaign chairman is expected to tell of extravagant spending and secret shell companies funelling millions of dollars of Ukrainian money into the political consultant’s bank account.

But no details about whether the presidential campaign colluded with Moscow during the 2016 election are set to emerge.

Paul Manafort‘s financial crimes court case will revolve around his Ukrainian consulting work and broadly steer away from his involvement with the president’s campaign.

Nevertheless, the implications of the high-profile case are expected to be far-reaching.

The trial, the first arising from an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, will give highly-anticipated insights into the evidence gathered by the former FBI director and his team.

Opening on Tuesday, the trial will hear testimony about the business dealings and foreign ties of a man Mr Trump entrusted with his campaign.

Prosecutors have said they could call 35 witnesses, including five who have immunity agreements, as they try to prove Mr Manafort laundered more than $30m (£22.9m) in Ukrainian political consulting proceeds and evaded US taxes.

The 69-year-old denies all the charges. “I continue to maintain my innocence,” he said earlier this year in a public statement.

Jurors are expected to see photographs of his Mercedes-Benz and of his Hampton property complete with waterfall pond, putting green and swimming pool. There is also likely to be testimony about high-end antiques, rugs, art and New York Yankees season tickets.

The lavish lifestyle was funded by Mr Manafort’s political consulting for the pro-Russian Ukrainian political party of Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed as Ukraine’s president in 2014.

Mr Manafort’s former deputy, Rick Gates, is to testify against him after making a plea deal with prosecutors.

Mr Manafort is the only American charged to choose a trial rather than cooperating with the government. The other 31 individuals charged have either reached plea agreements, including ex-White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, or are Russians seen as unlikely to enter an American courtroom. Three Russian companies have also been charged.

Lawyers have clashed over how much jurors will hear of his overseas political work, particularly about his ties to Russia and other wealthy political figures.

At a recent hearing, US District Judge TS Ellis III, who will preside over the trial, warned prosecutors to restrain themselves and pointing to the current “antipathy” towards Russia.

“Most people in this country don’t distinguish between Ukrainians and Russians,” he said.

Jurors will not be told about Mr Manafort’s other criminal case in Washington where he faces charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and lying to the government.

Nor will they hear why he has jailed since last month, after a judge revoked his house arrest over allegations he and a longtime associate attempted to tamper with witnesses in the case.

They will not learn that Mr Manafort’s co-defendant in the Washington case is a business associate named Konstantin Kilimnik, who lives in Russia and who US authorities assert has connections to Russian intelligence.

There is speculation Mr Manafort, who faces prison sentences totalling up to 305 years if convicted on all counts, may be relying on receiving a pardon from the US president.

“Perhaps he believes that he’s done nothing wrong, and because he’s done nothing wrong, he’s unwilling to plead guilty to any crime whatsoever — even if it’s a lesser crime,” said Jimmy Gurule, a law professor and former federal prosecutor. “Obviously, that’s very risky for him.”

Mr Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly sought to play down Mr Manafort’s connection to the president, however the trial will reference the presidential campaign briefly, with Mr Mueller’s team arguing the job was relevant to some of the bank fraud charges.

Prosecutors plan to present evidence that a chairman of one of the banks allowed MR Manafort to file inaccurate loan information in exchange for a job on the campaign and the promise of a job in the Trump administration. The administration job never materialised.

Mr Mueller’s team has pressed for an interview with Mr Trump, but he has refused, branding the investigation a “witch hunt.”

Additional reporting by Associated Press