dagblog - Comments for "Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Attempted Witness Tampering"

It's what, exactly, the the

barefooted — Sat, 16 Jun 2018 21:25:07 +0000

In reply to If Manafort does cooperate

It's what, exactly, the the Mueller team expects that he can give them is the mystery here, because it has never been worth the effort they've already expended to simply get what they already have. There's something they want from his mouth to confirm what they know ... stay tuned for the performance, indeed.

If Manafort does cooperate

moat — Sat, 16 Jun 2018 21:15:29 +0000

In reply to My thinking on this is

If Manafort does cooperate with the investigation, it probably would lead to new evidence. The prosecution needs a way to verify that they are not just getting a story they are willing to hear. In that regard, Manafort was a tainted possible witness from the beginning. If he is to save himself, he will have to deliver much more than a narrative.

Now there are some who claim he has nothing to give. Rudy suddenly talking about "cleaning matters up" with pardons suggests that Team Trump does not agree.

On to the next scene. I hear rumors that a play will be performed in front of the royalty that features a reenactment of the their original crimes. No gloating will be heard from this ditch until the rotund lobbyist sings.

My thinking on this is

artappraiser — Sat, 16 Jun 2018 06:37:46 +0000

In reply to Manafort slips into something

My thinking on this is becoming kinda ambivalent now and don't feel like gloating. It's not really good news. Because of the witness tampering, he's really tainted. Everyone is going to disavow him. He's kinda useless as state's evidence? Maybe not in court but in the court of public opinion. It just reinforces the whole "swamp" meme where all DC lobbyists are criminals, there's hundreds more where he came from, so why should we bother with federal government, etc. I usually am on board with cynicism, but at a certain point....

A room with no view

moat — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 22:00:02 +0000

In reply to If the bracelet's nice,

A room with no view
completes sartorial theme
of chain with lead ball.

Paul sees that, in the mirror,
his jumpsuit matches Trump's hair.

If the bracelet's nice,

barefooted — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 17:10:41 +0000

In reply to Manafort slips into something

If the bracelet's nice,

Yet you question its stiff price,

A chain may suffice.

CNBC:

NCD — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 16:57:18 +0000

In reply to Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Attempted Witness Tampering

CNBC:

President Donald Trump told reporters Friday that "Manafort has nothing to do with our campaign," and understated by nearly 100 days the amount of time the long-time GOP lobbyist spent as his campaign chairman in 2016. In fact, Manafort served 144 days as Trump’s presidential campaign chairman. He was hired in late March 2016, and resigned on Aug. 19 of that year.

"It’s hard to tell a bigger lie than to claim that your campaign chairman had “nothing to do with” your campaign. But that’s par for the course with this man." M. Longman

Manafort slips into something

moat — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 15:54:17 +0000

In reply to Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Attempted Witness Tampering

Manafort slips into something less comfortable.

The Hill:

artappraiser — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 01:41:57 +0000

In reply to New Obstruction Charges for

The Hill:

Mueller brings charges against Manafort associate 6 hrs. ago
Read the superseding indictment against Manafort 6 hrs. ago
Mueller brings new charges against Paul Manafort 2:03 PM EDT

Politico:

Mueller hits Manafort with new obstruction of justice charges 5:36 pm

Longtime Manafort aide Kilimnik is also charged for the first time.

Washington Post:

Special counsel Mueller indicts Paul Manafort, Russian associate on obstruction charges 2:26 pm

The indictment marks the first such charges for Manafort’s associate, Konstantin Kilimnik. Prosecutors have previously said Kilimnik has ties to Russian intelligence, which he denies.

Analysis: Mueller’s latest indictment is a mixed bag for Trump, 4:37 pm

New Obstruction Charges for

artappraiser — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 01:31:31 +0000

In reply to Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Attempted Witness Tampering

New Obstruction Charges for Manafort and Longtime Aide; Mueller Adds Obstruction Charge on Manafort and Indicts His Right-Hand Man

Paul Manafort’s longtime associate, Konstantin V. Kilimnik, is suspected of having ties to Russian intelligence. Prosecutors with the special counsel say the two men tried to tamper with witnesses.

By KENNETH P. VOGEL 47 minutes ago @ NYTimes.com

WASHINGTON — After months of oblique references to an unnamed Russian associate of Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, the special counsel identified the associate on Friday and charged both men with obstruction of justice.

The associate, Konstantin V. Kilimnik, is a Russian Army-trained linguist prosecutors have accused of having ties to Russian intelligence.

The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has not publicly sought to connect Mr. Kilimnik or Mr. Manafort to Russian meddling in the 2016 election, but Friday’s indictment of Mr. Kilimnik could carry symbolic significance nonetheless.

The charges are the first in Mr. Manafort’s case against someone accused of having ties to Russian intelligence. And they come as Mr. Manafort’s lawyers — and Mr. Trump and his allies — are arguing that Mr. Mueller has ventured beyond his remit of investigating Russian election interference [....]

With Mueller Closing In,

artappraiser — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 03:31:05 +0000

In reply to Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Attempted Witness Tampering

With Mueller Closing In, Manafort’s Allies Abandon Him

By Kenneth P. Vogel, Sharon LaFreniere & Jason Horowitiz @ NYTimes.com, June 7

[....] The two journalists, who helped lead a project to which prosecutors say Mr. Manafort funneled more than $2 million from overseas accounts, are the latest in a series of onetime Manafort business partners who have provided damaging evidence to Robert S. Mueller III [....]

Instead of engaging, Mr. Friedman and Mr. Sager informed Mr. Mueller’s team of the efforts to reach them, according to prosecutors. Mr. Friedman accused Mr. Manafort of trying to “suborn perjury” by persuading him to lie to investigators, according to a declaration by an F.B.I. agent on the case. Neither Mr. Friedman nor Mr. Sager could be reached for comment [....]

Mr. Manafort’s associates say he feels betrayed by the former business partners, to whom he collectively steered millions of dollars over the years for consulting, lobbying and legal work intended to bolster the reputation of Viktor F. Yanukovych, the former president of Ukraine. Mr. Manafort has told associates that he believes Mr. Mueller’s team is using the business partners to pressure him to flip on Mr. Trump in a manner similar to the one used to prosecute the energy giant Enron in the early 2000s by a Justice Department task force that included some lawyers now serving on Mr. Mueller’s team.

“Anybody who is a student of the Enron prosecution sees a very close parallel,” said Michael R. Caputo, a former Trump campaign operative, who has known Mr. Manafort for three decades and spoke with him on Wednesday. Another associate said Mr. Manafort and some of his close allies were reading a book by the conservative lawyer and commentator Sidney Powell that claims misconduct in the Enron prosecution. And Mr. Caputo, who was interviewed by Mr. Mueller’s team last month, said that “when Paul decided to fight, he knew the lay of the land.” [....]