'NO COLLUSION with Russia': Trump Ex-Campaign Chief Manafort Heading to Prison, but Not for Collusion

President Donald Trump says he feels "very badly" for Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman who was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for tax and bank fraud. 

That's far below the 20-year term that sentencing guidelines recommend and that prosecutors wanted.

Still, it's the longest sentence for a defendant in cases stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

Manafort, 69, was not charged with colluding with the Russians in the 2016 election. He was caught violating other laws instead.

Manafort's lawyer Kevin Downing said outside the court, "There was absolutely no evidence that Mr. Manafort was involved in any collusion with the government of Russia."

Manafort will also be sentenced next week on additional charges that he served as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukraine, laundered money, and tampered with a witness.

Meanwhile, Mueller is expected to submit his Russia report to the Department of Justice soon.

President Trump tweeted after the sentencing: "Both the Judge and the lawyer in the Paul Manafort case stated loudly and for the world to hear that there was NO COLLUSION with Russia."