Manafort pleading out at 11:00 AM EST

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
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Not good for the Administration. A pardon? Possible but what that means is Manafort surrenders all Fifth Amendment protections and can be compelled to testify. If he doesn't then he can be cited and held in jail for a very, very, very long time and Trump can't pardon him out of that.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
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I'd rather he not plead guilty and just keep this in the public through the end of the year. But I think it's pretty clear that this is the plan all along: plead guilty and go away quietly and await the post-midterm pardon.

....but then that might turn into a bigger shitstorm for POTUS, as you suggest.

Interesting times.
 
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K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
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Manafort looks to be forfeiting substantial property and cash in the agreement...a pardon won't bring that back. I think he's flipped for real.

Were I to say what he's going to give Mueller it's Don Jr. and/or Jared on a platter.

Incidentally he's soon to be in the market for lightly used geiger counters and chemical weapons test kits.
 
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Nov 8, 2012
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I sincerely hope this leads to REAL full convictions and opens up a world more of pleas. Actually - I hope this is enough evidence that we can afford to stop offering plea deals and give them the full dick of the law.

I also want them to get fined out the ass knowing how much all this shit costs us.
 
Jan 25, 2011
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This won't help the witch hunt cries. That angle took a bad enough of a hit with his original conviction and with Cohen pleading out. This will boost Mueller's credibility a lot more.
 
Jan 25, 2011
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Must be those "Obama jews" that are doing this to him (line 4).

DnD1-u7WsAM7wox.jpg:large
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
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Not good for the Administration. A pardon? Possible but what that means is Manafort surrenders all Fifth Amendment protections and can be compelled to testify. If he doesn't then he can be cited and held in jail for a very, very, very long time and Trump can't pardon him out of that.

That's not entirely accurate. Manafort loses fifth amendment rights only wrt the charges in question, none of which have anything to do with his role in the Trump campaign-

A criminal information — a legal document filed by prosecutors to detail the criminal conduct to be admitted by the defendant — was filed in advance of the plea. The document shows Manafort intends to plead guilty to two crimes of the seven he faced at trial: conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring to obstruct justice.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...daaa5b2a57f_story.html?utm_term=.0e4575e1a54b

He retains the right to remain silent in all other matters. He may yet face state level tax & bank fraud charges.
 

baydude

Senior member
Sep 13, 2011
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What is the ideal outcome for Mueller when he testifies? That he’ll say at the direction of the Trump campaign I cheated on my taxes? Or that at the direction of the Trump campaign I colluded with Russia to hack the DNC?
 
Nov 8, 2012
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What is the ideal outcome for Mueller when he testifies? That he’ll say at the direction of the Trump campaign I cheated on my taxes? Or that at the direction of the Trump campaign I colluded with Russia to hack the DNC?

The ideal outcome is that he serves as a seed to plant for evidence to convict a multitude of other people with how much knowledge he has - Trump included.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
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What is the ideal outcome for Mueller when he testifies? That he’ll say at the direction of the Trump campaign I cheated on my taxes? Or that at the direction of the Trump campaign I colluded with Russia to hack the DNC?

Manafort has not agreed to testify.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
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Manafort has not agreed to testify.

He might not need to and it might not even be desirable since he's accused/admitting to a LOT of lying. I'd think whatever he proffered to Mueller is harder evidence.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
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Manafort has not agreed to testify.

I think he's referring to the proceeding today where he will have to make a statement. Cohen had to do the same thing when he said he conspired with Trump to violate campaign finance laws.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
86,671
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What is the ideal outcome for Mueller when he testifies? That he’ll say at the direction of the Trump campaign I cheated on my taxes? Or that at the direction of the Trump campaign I colluded with Russia to hack the DNC?

Manafort himself is a pretty big fish. I imagine what Mueller wanted out of him was dirt on Trump or Trump's family. Considering the relatively small number of counts he's pleading guilty to here it seems reasonably likely Mueller has gotten it.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
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Prosecutors use plea bargains because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Juries are unpredictable. It doesn't mean Manafort has agreed to anything other than allocution wrt the charges stated in court- fraud against the govt & obstruction of justice.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
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A cooperation agreement? Hmm. No appeal, no profiting from his wrongs, at least directly.