Multiple reports are indicating that Paul Manafort, the former campaign chairman for U.S. President Donald Trump, is in talks with the Justice Department special counsel's office about a potential plea deal.
The latest, which The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, cited two people with knowledge of the discussions, and indicated that the talks may not result in a deal with special counsel Robert Mueller.
That followed a report from Bloomberg that said Manafort may be in talks for a plea deal ahead of his second trial in Washington. That trial is scheduled to begin with opening statements on Sept. 24, according to the Post.
The Washington Post also reported that the pretrial hearing would be delayed for two days and pushed to Sept. 14 instead of Sept. 12. The newspaper did not explain the reason for the delay.
Manafort's spokesperson declined to comment to NBC, citing a court mandated gag order. A spokesman from the special counsel's office declined to comment on the matter.
A Virginia court last month found Manafort guilty of eight criminal counts, including five counts of tax fraud.
The former Trump aide was the first person charged by Mueller to go to trial.
The special counsel is investigating possible interference in the U.S. presidential election, but the charges against Manafort are related to his consulting work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine. That work predated his tenure with the Trump campaign in 2016.