The government is seeking forfeiture of Manafort’s Brooklyn brownstone and his SoHo condominium, as well as his house in the Hamptons and a house in Arlington, Virginia.
Legal experts said the typical defense in these cases is to plead ignorance about the requirements of the law, or for the defendants to claim that they didn’t think their particular work required disclosure. But they also cautioned that such a defense may be difficult for Manafort, given the repeated violations alleged and the sophistication of the operation.
"With the simplicity of these types of charges, it’s hard to see a strong defense," Nawaday said.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.