Judge Ellis was a noted Trump supporter back in 2018.

[Kablooie]

A look at President Trump's new favorite judge
May 18, 2018

It was just over a week ago that President Donald Trump and his legal team in their eyes got vindication -- a federal judge that questioned the scope of special counsel Robert Mueller's now one-year-old probe. The judge, T.S. Ellis, questioned the scope of the probe as he presided over a second case involving former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who faces a 32-count indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia in addition to another mountain of charges in a D.C. federal court. Manafort has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Trump, who has openly bashed federal judges in the past, pounced on the possible turn of events for his former top adviser, saying in a speech to the National Rifle Association that evening, “Just when I’m walking on the stage, a highly respected judge in Virginia made statements.”

He was biased from the start. He should have recused himself.

more:
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-trumps-favorite-judge/story?id=55249937

[SWBTATTReg]

1. I agree. He should have recused himself. I wonder if the prosecution will appeal? NT

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. The prosecutors can appeal a sentence but only under limited circumstances -

for example, if the sentence given was less than a mandatory minimum. If the sentence is within the sentencing guidelines they really don't have much to go on.

[diva77]

10. What would it take for Congress to conduct an investigation -- would something like this qualify?

How do compromised people keep getting away with not recusing themselves?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. What's the evidence Ellis was compromised?

The remedy for a "compromised" federal judge is impeachment, which has happened a few times, usually in cases where judges were found to have been taking bribes. The fact that Ellis gave Manafort an unexpectedly lenient sentence isn't evidence that he is compromised without something else indicating he did it for a corrupt reason. Lawyers can move for recusal after a judge is assigned, and Ellis is known to be an eccentric old crank, but as far as I know the prosecutors didn't do that.

[defacto7]

14. Compromised, maybe, maybe not. But biased seems to be

the general consensus and pretty obvious to me. Where would that fit or is it too late? Maybe it wouldn't make a difference since he stayed within parameters. Maybe it's not worth the effort now.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. He seems to dislike prosecutors in general and the Manafort prosecutors in particular.

But he's pushing 80 and is on senior status, which means he's semi-retired and takes cases as needed. Many senior judges choose not to take a full case load; I don't know whether Ellis does. In any event, considering his age and senior status he's not likely to pick up additional controversial cases.

[diva77]

20. wouldn't be a surprise if something concrete made the judge go easy on Manafort, but, as you say,

there has to be evidence.

[Eyeball_Kid]

15. If true, then prosecutors CAN appeal the sentence. 47 months is well below the mandatory minimum,

if the guidelines can be interpreted as such.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. The guidelines are just that - guidelines. There are no mandatory minimum sentences

for Manafort's crimes as there are for some other crimes (large-scale drug trafficking, for example), just recommended ones.

[dalton99a]

2. Kick

[duforsure]

3. How long before the bribe is exposed

From these career corrupt criminals?

[deminks]

4. If the judge shows up with an ostrich jacket, we will know for sure.

[edhopper]

6. I wonder if we will ever

see justice served in this country again?

[moondust]

8. Lots of new "judges"

in the new and improved Christian Caliphate of America.

[ooky]

9. I still have my fingers crossed for next week.

[klook]

7. Republicans have both feet on the scales

— they outgrew the thumb approach a long time ago.

[ffr]

12. Power wins over justice, again. Our system has been broken by the Rusky Rupublicons

[Still In Wisconsin]

13. Let me translate for the uninformed: when Trump says "highly respected" he means "in my pocket."

Yeah, under normal ethical procedures he should have recused. But he's a Trumpist, so why would he adhere to any ethical code?

I'm surprised he didn't let Manafort off with time served.

[DirtEdonE]

17. We can no longer expect any repubican to do "the right thing" no pun intended

Because they've just forgotten how.

Remember the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The repubicans all fell asleep. I don't think they're really human anymore.

[sprinkleeninow]

19. He should also be questioning the scope of HIS upcoming 'probe'.

😈 ou 😇, 🤣