After the arrest, the isolation, the various charges leaked to the public, Manafort will have a defense. My take on it is that it won’t be an empty defense, unless his attorneys advise him to make a deal to prevent him from being destroyed.
Was it unlawful for Manafort to have foreign contacts? Can they prove he actually did anything illegal?
Does it matter?
Mueller will drag this trial out until 2019 and beyond if he possibly can.
Meanwhile, the reason Mueller has a job, is till coming up big zeros.
Statute of limitations?
Mueller is a modern day Sisyphus*...He's tasked with a failed mission and will have to die in “office” or risk going to Jail himself.... it shows on his face... * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisyphus