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Paul Manafort, former wheelchair campaign director for Donald Trump, during his trial in a Washington court on March 7, 2019. REUTERS / Bill Hennessy

Former campaign director Donald Trump was sentenced Wednesday (March 13th) to a 43-month prison sentence, in addition to a first sentence of 47 months. In total, Paul Manafort will have to spend seven and a half years in prison. His two sentences merge, both the one imposed last week by a Virginia court for tax evasion and that of today, decided by a court in Washington in the context of the Russian investigation.

Two cumulative sentences: seven and a half years in prison for the man who in 2016 was still leading the US President's campaign. Formerly at the heart of Washington's power networks, Paul Manafort appeared exhausted, in a wheelchair.

The former millionaire lobbyist implored the Washington court: " This case has already taken everything," he said, adding "please, let us live together with my wife, " reports our correspondent in San Francisco, Eric de Salve .

But Manafort " is neither the public enemy nor a victim, " said the judge who does not believe in his remorse. After his conviction last week for tax fraud and concealment of $ 55 million abroad, the Republican is still sentenced. But this time for hiding his counseling activities with pro-Russian Ukrainians and for witness tampering. " Lies repeated for years , says the American justice to ensure a luxury lifestyle ."

Justice was interested in him through the famous Russian investigation of the special prosecutor Robert Mueller on the alleged collusion of the Trump campaign team with Russia. Manafort had agreed to collaborate with Robert Mueller, but justice estimates today that he finally violated this agreement and lied to the investigators. For this, Donald Trump had also praised " the courage " of his former close today condemned.

This Wednesday, Donald Trump said he was " very sad " for his former campaign manager. The American president has not ruled out pardoning the one who led his campaign team for two months, stating simply: " I did not even think about it ".

The troubles of justice of Paul Manafort do not stop there. On Wednesday, after his second conviction, he was again charged with 16 different charges, the most serious of which, mortgage fraud, is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. New York State. The alleged facts are spread between 2015 and 2017.