Manafort wanted a plea-deal for the second trial, but Mueller said no

[DetlefK]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/manafort-sought-deal-in-next-trial-but-talks-broke-down-1535404819

Paul Manafort’s defense team held talks with prosecutors to resolve a second set of charges against the former Trump campaign chairman before he was convicted last week, but they didn’t reach a deal, and the two sides are now moving closer to a second trial next month, according to people familiar with the matter.

...

The plea talks on the second set of charges stalled over issues raised by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, one of the people said. It isn’t clear what those issues were, and the proposed terms of the plea deal couldn’t immediately be determined.

...

The talks were aimed at forestalling a second, related trial for Mr. Manafort, which is scheduled to begin on Sept. 17 in Washington.

IIRC the second trial is about the time Manafort was a corrupt lobbyist in Ukraine, influencing a corrupt Russia-friendly government on behalf of corrupt russian oligarchs.
And who's at the top? Who has the last word in Russia when it comes to foreign-policy? Putin.

What happens if the evidence against Manafort links him to russian oligarchs in the pocket of Putin?
What if Manafort is afraid of Putin getting the impression that he ratted out the Russians to save his own skin?
Manafort knows what Putin does with people who betray him.

The end up drinking polonium-tea.
Or eat a salad containing a poisonous tibetan plant.
Or fall out of windows.
Or get shot on their doorstep.
Or commit suicide by taking a flying leap head-first through of a window that's 1 foot high and 2 feet wide.
Or find some Novichok on their doorknob.

[Wounded Bear]

1. A plea deal would give them a chance to bury the evidence...

No way any right-minded person would want to do that.

Evidence presented at trial will be in the public domain.

[Pachamama]

2. If an agreement has been met, they aren't going to announce it immediately....

Got to keep the Traitor in Chief on pins and needles and not knowing what is going on....

Mueller will be tight lipped and any deal will require the same of Manafort.

Plus: Manafort has to be careful of all the things you just named that happens from crossing Russian "friends"....

[bigbrother05]

3. It's clear Manafort will get more convictions in trial #2

Mueller will want to get statements/depositions from Manafort that can be used in court before announcing any deals as a hedge against anything happening to his witness.

Paulie can probably recite the daisy chain of relationships between all the Russians and Trumpers with timelines and meeting places.

He's the Rosetta Stone for this whole mess, even Trump himself doesn't know what Manafort knows.

Could probably lay out the Crimea scenario as well.

Putin will not be happy.

[gratuitous]

4. Sounds like Manafort knows he's strapped in and can't escape

And the million pound shithammer is taking another swing.

[Claritie Pixie]

5. Mueller doesn't need him. Carry on.

[Jersey Devil]

6. Mueller's "conditions" were probably cooperation by Manafort

Manafort probably was trying to enter a simple plea deal with some of the charges dropped but without offering cooperation. So why should Mueller even consider that?

More importantly however, it has been 3 weeks since Giuliani sent a letter to Mueller offering a deal for Trump's testimony and Mueller has not answered. Does that mean that Trump is now a target? I sure hope so.

[FakeNoose]

10. I think Manafort asked for complete witness protection

... you know, a new identity, U.S. passport, and free to leave the country.

He probably wanted it for his whole family or at least his wife if not his daughters. How would Mueller give him that? I don't think it's even in his authority to give that kind of protection. Manafort is safer (from Putin) here in the U.S. than Europe or anywhere else. He is already going to die in prison anyway. No sympathy for this guy!

[NewJeffCT]

7. wasn't there another "suicide"

where the person that committed suicide shot themselves in the head multiple times?

[NewJeffCT]

8. would Manafort be able to get Witness Protection

out of a deal?

[honest.abe]

9. This means he going to be found guilty.

More good news.

[duforsure]

11. One will get done

And trump will be done after he fills in all the blank spaces he may have yet to fill, but he will turn on trump knowing trump is a liar and a con man, and he can't trust him. Manafort also knows they'll eliminate him because he knows too much if he ends up in prison , or pardoned and eliminated outside of prison. Trump will have ghouliani start claiming he's a liar and they never trusted him.