Defense attorney: Paul Manafort would not have left evidence 'around' if he was trying to break law

[emulatorloo]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2018/08/03/paul-manafort-trial-day-4-what-to-expect-from-testimony-today/?utm_term=.4ac13e959b72

12:58 p.m.: Defense attorney: Paul Manafort would not have left evidence ‘around’ if he was trying to break law

During a break, Paul Manafort’s lead attorney, Kevin Downing, offered a bit of the defense against charges of failure to report foreign bank accounts. Essentially, Downing argued, if Manafort had known he was doing something illegal, he wouldn’t have been so easy to catch.


“Nobody intending to violate the law would leave the evidence around for his accountant to find it,” Downing said in court.

Judge T.S. Ellis III summarized the defense as, “There’s a trail in these documents that would lead to the truth, and somebody who violated the law wouldn’t have done that.”

The trial is on lunch break until 1:30 p.m.

[Turbineguy]

1. Ah yes, the old

"my client is too smart to be a criminal" ploy.

[eleny]

14. Right!

The first thing that came to mind was that Manafort has had stupid moments like the rest of humanity. And he had major weaknesses like keeping up his style of lavish living at all cost.

[TheRealNorth]

2. So is his lawyer conceding he broke the law

But trying to say he didn't know he was breaking the law? Seems like he is conceding that he's guilty but is now playing for a lenient sentence.

[ProudLib72]

3. This crap again?

I hope the prosecution makes the old "No, your client figured he would get away with crimes since the Russian coup put all his cronies in charge" rebuttal.

[LiberalFighter]

4. Some people are just too arrogant to believe they will be caught.

Besides, he hid a lot of his money in illegal off-shore accounts and didn't report the income.

[marylandblue]

8. It actually seems like he went to elaborate lengths to hid the income

And only got caught because he ran into a bunch of prosecutors with knowledge and patience to trace all his money transfers.

[SWBTATTReg]

11. I agree w/ you...he did create the offshore accounts, moved the money there, etc.

It does seem like he's trying to hide the money...I think he got caught because he got cocky and high strung because he was such a big shot in the repug party...got arrogant and got caught...

[marylandblue]

5. I would never have left that smoking gun if I'd actually murdered the victim.

[louis-t]

6. Translation: "Iffen I'd known I's gonna get caught..

I'd a hid the ev'dence better."

[LandOfHopeAndDreams]

7. Surely, I Would Have Shredded And Covered Everything Up, Had I Known

What kind of criminal.....errrrr......I mean businessman....do you take me for?

[gratuitous]

9. I'm too well-connected and white to go to jail!

It's worked in other cases, why wouldn't Manafort think that defense was available to him?

[HopeAgain]

10. Now,THAT'S FUNNY!

And all but admitting guilt...

[Ms. Toad]

12. As an attorney, he should know that ignorance of the law

does not excuse violation of the law, unless knowledge that the act constituted a crime was an element of the crime (generally not).

Can you imagine how well, "Your honor, I didn't know it was illegal to randomly kill people in schools," would go over?

[Leghorn21]

13. ...and next up:

The next witness up is another member of the accounting firm
Cindy La Porta. La Porta is one of the witnesses who has been
granted immunity to testify.
12:44 PM - Aug 3, 2018

Link to tweet

Hahahahaaaa

Whasssupppp, MANAFORT

[C_U_L8R]

15. Wait, what?

"I'm gonna leave a bunch of evidence around" ... said no criminal ever