And by law, that judge, has now ordered prosecutors not to “flaunt” Manafort’s expensive taste in clothes and wealth before the jury. First, on Thursday, Manafort’s former bookkeeper took the stand in what may be one of the glitziest tax-evasion cases ever heard in the U.S court system.Â
Reports show that prosecutors wanted to in full-detail (including pictures) but judge TS Ellis III ruled that “such could engender a bias against rich people”. A type of rich person that knowingly evaded millions in taxes; revenue, and money from foreign governments for his own personal gain.Â
Manafort apparently went on a massive spending spree beginning in 2011. According to court records, it, shows that he spent upwards of $2.4m in electronic goods; home improvements, a $10,000 karaoke machine he bought using wire transfers, and numerous other things.