Posted on 09/20/2017 7:37:56 AM PDT by bitt
We already knew that Paul Manafort was in a heap of trouble. It was almost two months ago — July 26, to be precise — that his Virginia residence was raided by the FBI in the predawn hours.
As I said at the time, prosecutors do not obtain warrants to toss the homes of people they regard as cooperating witnesses. When they are dealing with cooperators, prosecutors politely request that documents be produced, expecting the witness (and his lawyers) to comply. If some coercion is thought necessary, they will issue a grand-jury subpoena — an enforceable directive to produce documents, but one that still allows the witness to hand over the materials, not have them forcibly seized. The execution of a search warrant, even if it goes smoothly, is a show of force. It is intimidating.
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/451525/paul-manafort-legal-trouble-donald-trump-might-not-be-involved
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
This all smacks of one-party state using its a vast bureaucratic apparatus and the edges of “the law” to pursue and harass an opposition politician.
How did Putin finally rid himself of the oligarchs who opposed him?
There’s a lot more on Manafort out there it’s just that none of it makes it into FR’s echo chamber. Few here do oppo research any more to see what their opponents are up to.
Interesting thought.
The Left are RUINING decent people that are associated with Trump.......Financial Ruin and Reputational Ruin!! EVIL people.
The FBI did raid Huma Abedin’s relatives and associates in Chicago, didn’t they?
They are trying to get Manafort to implicate Trump. Won’t happen. I believe Trump pardoned Sheriff Joe so early (partly) as a signal to Manafort and Flynn. He’s letting them know to hang tight, he has their backs and can expect pardons.
If they keep their mouths shut, plead the 5th over and over then there is no way for Mueller to trap them into some lie (a la Scooter Libby)
That’s a rather safe call for him to make because his lawyers know they won’t release them since those calls would involve the underlying investigation of Russians and as that investigation is ongoing and a matter not of criminality but of diplomacy and national security, they won’t be released.
Agree with the first comment. Manafort was working with the pro-Russia Ukrainian regime and the US was actively involved in trying to overturn it.
The Ukrainian territory of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation on 18 March 2014. It is no coincidence that the wiretapping of Manafort began in 2014.
Second, I don’t think Trump has anything to fear. My comment was about my thoughts that Manafort is probably getting more attention, and has higher costs defending himself, because of his brief stint working for Trump than if he hadn’t. So, for that reason, Trump turned out to be on net financial balance, a bad client for Manafort. Not Trump’s fault, not Manafort’s.
Actually, it might turn out as a blessing in disguise for Manafort. Now he knows that he was being spied on by the FBI for two years and the investigation was discontinued for lack of evidence. If the FBI restarted the investigation when Manafort joined the Trump campaign, many questions will need to be answered by the FBI re the timing, justification, etc. And the fact that Trump's conversations with Manafort may have been captured raises this to a new level.
Mueller may have a difficult time pursuing criminal actions against Manafort given the circumstances. And the revelations may lead to Obama, Brennan, and Comey. Clapper and Comey may have committed perjury as well.
That and Trump fired the guy...
Long before the Russian narrative heated up, too.
Pretty easy to say the dude was crooked and when I found that out, I booted him.
Manafort was used only as an excuse to listen to Trump.
A search warrant that is executed as a “show of force” is excessive force. Manafort has zero record that would indicate they might expect violent resistance. There was zero reason to expect a knock at the door would be met with anything except an attorneys normal cooperation.
Predawn with a swat team was pure East Germany crap. Mueller is a traitor to America.
Because they’re POS who should all die of cancers covering their entire bodies.
And even that’s too good for a liberal.
Sounds like Scientology. Leah Remini has a documentary that shows documents that walk the aggressors through the “how to destroy lives” process.
IMHO all of this could be nothing more than a phishing expedition. I still have not see any evidence that Paul is in a heap of trouble.
Interesting comments re “blessing in disguise.” Your analysis assumes relatively impartial courts, but yes.
It’s becoming patently clear that Sessions is a establishment plant. He’s done nothing but hide. All the border enforcement / criminal gang round-up ops are due to law enforcement people having their Obama-shackles removed by Trump. Sessions had not a thing do do with that success. He’s nothing but dead weight deadwood. President Trump should fire him for his continued cowardly incompetence.
Manafort will be fine. This is a BULLCRAP witch hunt and he will have the BEST defense attorneys in the business.
Besides, the DOJ still has to sign off on prosecution. If this has nothing to do with the election (and it doesn’t) then they’ll be morons to continue.
So very sick of the Never Trump pukes trying to blemish this man and his team.
At least Manafort can afford to lawyer up. Lots of people are getting dragged into this witch hunt who need counsel but can’t afford it - they face financial ruin if they don’t cooperate - the truth be damned.
Politically motivated witch hunts like this which seek to criminalize politics are the modus operanda of a police state, not a constitutional Republic.
In a Republic, politicians should be held accountable by the voters, at the voting booth.
Don’t count on your assumption. DOJ has revealed that Firtash was being wiretapped.
I am not 100% clear on when or if the 3 hop rule changed..or when Firtash was exactly being wiretapped...
Firtash to Manafort to Sater to Trump or other combos
The guy who worked in the office that is taking down Firtash parsed Cohen’s statement
https://www.justsecurity.org/45169/federal-prosecutor-dissects-trump-lawyer-michael-cohens-statement-senate/
So did Rod B...and he is spending more than a decade in prison.
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