Former CIA Director John Brennan said Monday that he doesn’t have “any doubt” President Trump would pardon his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort from his 47-month prison sentence.
“I don’t have any doubt that Mr. Trump is going to pardon Paul Manafort at some point,” Brennan said on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press Daily.” “The question is when.”
“I do believe that Paul Manafort will be able to get out of the federal charges because what does Donald Trump have to lose if he pardons him?” added Brennan, a frequent critic of Trump.
The ex-CIA director went on to support his prediction by noting how “highly” Trump has spoken of Manafort and the fact that the president believes he is the target of a “witch hunt.”
“He feels as though this whole investigation has been a lark and a witch hunt. And so why would Donald Trump allow him to stay in jail if those were his views?” Brennan continued. “Anything is possible with Donald Trump. … He uses these powers as he wants to and as he believes is going to help him personally.
“I think Donald Trump is ultimately going to pardon him,” he said.
The comments from Brennan come less than a week after Judge T.S. Ellis III sentenced Manafort to 47 months in prison for a range a financial crimes.
{mosads}Manafort was convicted of eight criminal charges of bank and tax fraud in August. He faces separate sentencing for convictions related to special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe in a Washington, D.C., court this week.
Trump said last week that he felt “very badly” for Manafort but that he had not discussed the possibility of a pardon.
Brennan noted that Trump would not be able to pardon Manafort if he faces state charges. The New York Times has reported that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is preparing to bring state charges against him.