The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort sought a plea deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller while the jury was deliberating in Virginia. The report indicates that Manafort understood the likelihood of conviction and also could be willing to follow other Trump insiders with a deal. Why such a deal broke down is an intriguing question.
It is not clear if Manafort was offering to trade information and cooperation or just looking for an agreement on a guilty plea in exchange for a recommendation for a more lenient sentencing. The latter would preserve a pardon strategy, but the latter would be a true game potential changer in adding a major cooperating witness.
If Manafort simply wanted a sentencing agreement in exchange for avoiding trial, the prosecutors could have concluded that they are likely to both win and get a high sentence in Washington. Without cooperation, there would be no advantage in trading away the trial of Mueller’s matinee defendant. Moreover, a new sentence may be enough to add to the desperation for Manafort in turning on Trump.
Manafort of course could simply plead guilty in Washington to seek leniency from the court. Such a cut down is not as significant as a deal to drop counts in exchange for a guilty plea. However, it can put a defendant at the bottom of the sentencing guideline.
The second trial is scheduled to begin on September 17th.
No Trump-Russia collusion story on Dredge Report today which is another indication this hoax story is dying. Dredge like JT loves to hype this story (even though both may not be believers, they do love to hype). The Trump-Russia hoax aint gonna survive the holiday weekend, while the weight of the truth on the real conspirators like Ohr, Steele, Comey, Brennan, HRC, Lanny Boy Davis, left media, social media, etc will eventually feel wrath of public opinion as that ship slowly and deliberately continues to turn on them like a bad Kevin Costner movie (No Way Out).
Did you miss today’s headline: White House Counsel Set to Exit? I’d say that relates to Trump-Russia. So another Martin theory goes down the trash chute.
The Russian Mafia have extraordinary incisors. The saber teeth are back in fashion.
So who will be the first to seek immunity after Ohr’s testimony today?
It was a closed door session, so the GOP can spin it (a la Nunes) until there’s a transcript.
Lol! That’s what you’re going with, willful ignorance? Justice? Nah, you’re going to stick with lawfare.
Olly, Congress is in recess. It was a closed door session. GOPers showed to try and save Trump’s nonsensical lies. No Dem house members were present. Instead, some of their staff members were there. Really not a serious event.
Olly,
You are laughing now, but are going to lose it later. I see now why Trump and Manafort may want to silence the likes of Mr. Ohr. He is a well-credentialed attorney who is one of the top (if not the top) DoJ experts on Russian International organized crime. Trump may actually be thinking a step ahead and trying to avoid RICO, etc.
You are laughing now, but are going to lose it later.
You couldn’t be more wrong; I’m not backing people, I’m backing the rule of law. Backing anything else begins in a losing position and only gets worse.
You go ahead and be infatuated with Ohr’s or anyone else’s credentials. I look at what they do, not at the shiny ball they want you to watch, Trump included.
By willfully turning your back on holding everyone accountable under the law, you are enabling an abuse of power that will destroy you if necessary. Theirs is a one way street paved on the backs of useful idiots.
Go ahead, Olly, cast your lot with Darrell Issa. He’s so credible.
Go ahead, Olly, cast your lot with Darrell Issa.
Reading comprehension is certainly not one of your strengths. I said:
I’m not backing people, I’m backing the rule of law.
I don’t care who gets to the truth. I don’t care who our justice system takes down. We either have equal justice under the law or we don’t. No party before country, no ideology before country, no person before country. Advocating for anything other than that is an advocacy for tyranny.
Haha. As if. Unfortunately for the delusional Pravda Faux News junkies, hannity and his ilk are spouting make-believe prattle, which doesn’t comport with what we in the real world refer to as “facts.” Along those line, whomever this Ohr character is doesn’t match up with any kind of “Deep State” hoodoo, just as I strenuously doubt he was standing on the “grassy knoll” in downtown Dallas in November of 1963. Whether he was in or about “BENGHAZI!!!” at any time is still up in the air, however. I’m sure the wackjob wingnut faction would prefer some more hearings on his relationship with “BENGHAZI!!”
this is to “I’ve decided to tattoo ‘Deep State’ under my eyelids so I can always focus on the prize” olly
“whomever this Ohr character is…”
He’s the number four at the DOJ you ignoramus. After the FBI determined that Steele had lied to them about media contacts they were forced to discard Steele as per FBI rules. In their infinite corruptness, the FBI then decided to use Ohr(who’s wife worked for Fusion GPS )as a conduit for Steele. Furthermore, the FISA courts who were lied to four times were never told about any of this as is required by law.
I think you are conflating the timing of the FISA warrants, the role the dossier played in those, what was “required by law” (which law and what wasn’t complied with?), and somehow arriving at the unsupported conclusion that the FISA court was “lied to.” What lie? When did it occur? So, what was this “infinite corruptness”? Try to line up your alleged facts in a narrative supported by facts in reference to a logical timeline.
hannity and his ilk are spouting make-believe prattle, which doesn’t comport with what we in the real world refer to as “facts.” Along those line, whomever this Ohr character is doesn’t match up with any kind of “Deep State” hoodoo
Make believe prattle? Facts? Yet you claim to have no idea who Ohr is? I don’t know where you practice law, but in the real world, admitting you have not bothered to gather all the facts before drawing your conclusion is the very definition of willful ignorance.
Damn, if you work pro bono, your clients paid too much.
Manafort.
China was screen-sharing with Hillary and Obama while they illegally mishandled classified information.
Oh yeah, Manafort is really, really important; as a red herring.