Ex-Trump campaign head Paul Manafort loses bid to dismiss Virginia charges

U.S. President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort was dealt a major loss on Tuesday, after a federal judge who had previously expressed some sympathy for him refused to dismiss charges brought against him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Judge T.S. Ellis in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled Tuesday that Mueller was properly appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and has the authority to prosecute Manafort.

Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by James Dalgleish