Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says pardoning Paul Manafort would be a "political disaster" for President Donald Trump and advises him not to do so.
Manafort, 69, was sentenced to 47 months of prison for financial fraud convictions obtained by special counsel Robert Mueller as he investigated Manafort's alleged collusion with the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election.
He was also indicted Wednesday in New York on fresh charges of residential mortgage fraud and sentenced to another three-and-a-half years in prison after a federal judge rejected his appeal for no additional time and rebuked him for his crimes and years of lies.
"Pardoning Manafort would be seen as a political disaster for the president," Sen. Graham lawmaker told reporters. "There may come a day down the road after the politics have changed that you'd want to consider an application of him like everybody else, but now would be a disaster."
Fellow Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., issued a similar message in December, saying it would be a "terrible mistake" for Trump as "pardons should be used judiciously."
Trump on Wednesday said he has not thought about pardoning his former campaign chairman, though he said he felt bad for him.
"I think it's a very bad situation,” he said.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and former Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., have also cautioned against a pardon.
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