U.S. prosecutors on Friday agreed to drop criminal charges against Paul Manafort that a jury deadlocked on earlier this year, as a federal judge set a Feb. 8 date for Manafort's sentencing on charges of bank fraud and filing false tax returns.
Prosecutors had favored waiting until Manafort finished cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller before addressing the remaining charges, but U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis rejected the timetable so he could move forward with sentencing Manafort, who appeared in court in a wheelchair and was said to be suffering significant health issues.
"I have not heard any estimation from the government of when his cooperation will be complete," Ellis said, referring to the special counsel investigation. "I'm not willing to go on endlessly" before sentencing Manafort, he added.
