Paul Manafort, the criminally convicted former chairman of President Trump’s 2016 campaign, reached a tentative plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller on Thursday, all but ensuring he won’t have to face a second trial later this month, according to a report.

The deal is expected to be announced in court Friday, three people familiar with the matter told ABC News. Manafort and his attorneys agreed to the deal after spending more than four hours in discussions with the special counsel’s team, the sources said.

It was not immediately clear if the deal includes a cooperation component or if Manafort is simply agreeing to plead guilty in order to avoid his trial in Washington, D.C.


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