Comments on: Manafort flips https://gregladen.com/blog/2018/09/14/manafort-flips/ Mon, 17 Sep 2018 03:19:37 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.6 By: MikeN https://gregladen.com/blog/2018/09/14/manafort-flips/#comment-629204 Mon, 17 Sep 2018 03:19:37 +0000 https://gregladen.com/blog/?p=30461#comment-629204 I think people are too focused on Trump to see the problem with Mueller’s investigation.
He repeatedly has used the non-crime ‘conspiracy against the US’. Basically if you do something that makes it harder for government regulators or law enforcement agencies to determine whether you’ve broken the law, then you have committed fraud against the US, or conspiracy to commit fraud, or the new term conspiracy against the US. Read the indictment against the Russians on Facebook. This is not the definition of fraud, but Mueller is creating precedent to add this to the prosecutor toolbox, along with asset forfeiture and Patriot Act and so many more.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2018/09/14/manafort-flips/#comment-626723 Fri, 14 Sep 2018 21:33:50 +0000 https://gregladen.com/blog/?p=30461#comment-626723 We don’t actually know who he us flipping on.

]]> By: MikeN https://gregladen.com/blog/2018/09/14/manafort-flips/#comment-626663 Fri, 14 Sep 2018 18:46:36 +0000 https://gregladen.com/blog/?p=30461#comment-626663 In reply to MikeN.

Politico reports the other charges in Virginia are dropped, and the sentences in the two cases run concurrently.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/14/manafort-plea-deal-questions-823883

]]> By: Anonymous https://gregladen.com/blog/2018/09/14/manafort-flips/#comment-626639 Fri, 14 Sep 2018 18:04:15 +0000 https://gregladen.com/blog/?p=30461#comment-626639 In reply to MikeN.

The judge made clear that he faces the potential for an increased sentence and monetary fines if he doesn’t fully cooperate to the extent spelled out in the agreement.

And the ten years maximum sentence only applies to this case. Sentencing in the earlier Virginia case is separate and is not part of this plea agreement. However, his pleading guilty to the ten hung charges from the Virginia case means that sentencing will be based on his being convicted of 18 crimes there.

]]> By: MikeN https://gregladen.com/blog/2018/09/14/manafort-flips/#comment-626633 Fri, 14 Sep 2018 17:49:43 +0000 https://gregladen.com/blog/?p=30461#comment-626633 You’re assuming he is flipping on Trump. Manafort was working for John Podesta’s brother Tony, who was not given immunity in the Manafort trial, and a number of pro Russian ‘oligarchs’.
In the Greek’s plea deal against Trump, no sentence deal was made until after his co-operation, but here the total sentence of no more than ten years has already been agreed to.

]]>