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Manafort DC trial delayed - he could be flipping...
Judge delays start of second Manafort trial after word that Trump's campaign chair is seeking a deal
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/8/28/1791631/-Judge-delays-start-of-second-Manafort-trial-after-word-that-Trump-s-campaign-chair-is-seeking-a-deal
Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort was found guilty on eight counts last week in a trial on bank fraud and tax evasion. Manafort was supposed to be facing a second trial in a DC court starting next week, but that trial has been delayed, with jury selection now scheduled to start on September 17 and the trial on September 24.
The delay follows on the heels of reports that Manafort had been seeking a plea deal in this second trial. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Manafort’s legal team had approached the prosecution about a potential deal. This would not have been an agreement to cooperate, but like the deal just made by Trump attorney Michael Cohen, would have been a simple agreement to plead guilty in exchange for a recommendation of a reduced sentence.
Indications are that previous attempts at a deal fell through, but the discussion between Manafort’s team and that of special counsel Robert Mueller supposedly took place before a Virginia jury returned with eight guilty counts. It may be that, following that decision, Manafort is in no hurry to stack more years on his current sentence.
And Manafort may feel that at this stage he could still walk away with light punishment. Judge Ellis, who oversaw Mr. Manafort’s Virginia case, previously handed down a sentence of only seven months to a man who pleaded guilty to stashing $220 million in foreign accounts and shorting his tax bill by $18 million. Both amounts are greater than those involved in Manafort’s case. That defendant did plead guilty and had previously agreed to a fine, but Manafort may be convinced that, at worst, he’s looking at long single digits when it comes to his sentence. Manafort will not be sentenced in the case until Robert Mueller determines whether or not to retry the Republican insider on ten counts that were held up by a single juror.
The delay follows on the heels of reports that Manafort had been seeking a plea deal in this second trial. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Manafort’s legal team had approached the prosecution about a potential deal. This would not have been an agreement to cooperate, but like the deal just made by Trump attorney Michael Cohen, would have been a simple agreement to plead guilty in exchange for a recommendation of a reduced sentence.
Indications are that previous attempts at a deal fell through, but the discussion between Manafort’s team and that of special counsel Robert Mueller supposedly took place before a Virginia jury returned with eight guilty counts. It may be that, following that decision, Manafort is in no hurry to stack more years on his current sentence.
And Manafort may feel that at this stage he could still walk away with light punishment. Judge Ellis, who oversaw Mr. Manafort’s Virginia case, previously handed down a sentence of only seven months to a man who pleaded guilty to stashing $220 million in foreign accounts and shorting his tax bill by $18 million. Both amounts are greater than those involved in Manafort’s case. That defendant did plead guilty and had previously agreed to a fine, but Manafort may be convinced that, at worst, he’s looking at long single digits when it comes to his sentence. Manafort will not be sentenced in the case until Robert Mueller determines whether or not to retry the Republican insider on ten counts that were held up by a single juror.
ETA: or may be not flipping. Maybe just trying to plead for reduced sentence.
Sid
9 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
yet the image of John Huston I have in my mind, he was older looking than his father.
