Manafort judge: I was ‘probably wrong’ to scold prosecutors

Judge T.S. Ellis III on Thursday said he was “probably wrong” for his earlier dustup with prosecutors from special counsel Robert Mueller’s office over the introduction of an expert witness in the financial fraud trial of Paul Manafort.

“I was critical of counsel …for allowing an expert to remain in the courtroom,” he said. “I may have well been wrong.”

On Wednesday Judge Ellis tire into prosecutors after they revealed a witness, IRS agent Michael Welch, had been watching the Manafort trial from the courtroom.

Judge Ellis erupted telling prosecutor Uzo Asoyne that he forbids witnesses from watching trials in all cases.