A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the upcoming trial of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort will be held in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Manafort's attorneys were not able to show that an impartial jury could not be selected in D.C.
Manafort had requested that the trial be moved more than 200 miles away to Roanoke, Virginia, arguing that the high proportion of Hillary Clinton supporters during the 2016 presidential election and the torrent of publicity over his trials would make it impossible to find a fair jury in the nation's capital.
The trial is set to begin jury selection on Sept. 17, with opening statements scheduled for the following week. It is Manafort's second federal criminal trial based on charges lodged by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Jackson had previously signaled that she was against moving the trial out of Washington. "This court has heard high-profile cases before. We have been able to find impartial jurors," Jackson said during a court hearing in August.
In his previous case in Alexandria, Virginia, Manafort had also requested that the judge move the case to Roanoke. That judge, T.S. Ellis, denied the motion, as well. Manafort was convicted by a 12-member on eight criminal counts in that trial, including tax and bank fraud charges.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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