Manafort attempted to tamper with potential witnesses: U.S. special counsel

[George II]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who has been indicted by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, attempted to tamper with potential witnesses, Mueller said in a court filing on Monday.

Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, asked the judge overseeing the case in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to revoke or revise an order releasing Manafort ahead of his trial.

Manafort was released to home confinement after his arraignment in October.

Mueller has indicted Manafort in federal courts in Virginia and Washington, D.C., with an array of allegations from money-laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent, to bank and tax fraud. Manafort has pleaded not guilty.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort/manafort-attempted-to-tamper-with-potential-witnesses-u-s-special-counsel-idUSKCN1J1043

---

First reported on CNN, nothing on their site yet. This Reuters information is thanks to csziggy.

According to CNN Mueller wants to revoke bail and house arrest. That would mean he'll go to jail until his trial, and not a country club jail, either. Plus these are new charges, new felonies.

I'm not sure how pardons work, but some crimes, even if Federal, cannot be pardoned by the president. And trump MAY even be involved. We'll see.

[Tactical Peek]

1. Reuters too

Link to tweet

/photo/1


Reuters Politics
?Verified account @ReutersPolitics

JUST IN: U.S. Special Counsel Mueller says ex-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has attempted to tamper with potential witness - court filing

[George II]

7. CNN had Sarah Murray reading a synopsis of the motion, surprised it's not on their site yet.

[samnsara]

2. wooohoooo

...wonder who trump will pardon now? someone convicted of witness tampering

[RockRaven]

6. someone guilty of witness tampering but also someone of celebrity/notoriety, if his pattern holds

That can't be a very long list. I've got no idea, but someone might accurately predict it.

[Zoonart]

3. LOCK HIM UP!

[procon]

4. Maybe this explains Trump's foul mood with all his mad tweets today. nt

[Frustratedlady]

5. Wouldn't that mean jail?

He complained about house arrest, he'll wish he'd kept his mouth shut and minded his Ps and Qs.

He'll go nuts in jail.

[JohnnyRingo]

8. I wonder if Trump can spring him.

That is, if he gets his bond revoked, can DT get him out to flee the country? I know Trump doesn't favor him right now because he's seen as cooperating, but if he leaves the US forever, that solves one big problem for Trump. He'd probably fly him out on AF1.

[erronis]

9. Or maybe into one of our favorite black rendition sites. Paul might rue the day

Or more likely a 20 mile one-way trip in a helicopter over the Atlantic. A shark swimming among others...

[JohnnyRingo]

17. The future is rife with conspiracy theories.

Heaven help us if DT should suffer a fatal heart attack, likely as it would seem. The right would demand the Deep State admit it and bring him back to life.

It sounds absurd to anyone with common sense, given the subject's physical appearance, but I wouldn't argue the point with any wingnuts. I'd just grin, nod, and say "I'll take it".

[thbobby]

52. A Zombie trump?

Probably would be an improvement. Maybe trump already is a Zombie. Sure looks like one.

[jmowreader]

19. Manafort would be safe in a school of sharks

They wouldn't eat him out of professional courtesy.

[NewJeffCT]

22. As far as I know, Manafort is not cooperating

despite a lot of pressure from Mueller. He probably fears Putin more than Mueller

[DeminPennswoods]

54. Manafort would have to plead guilty before

Trump could pardon him on any federal charges. Manafort still might be on the hook for state criminal charges, though. Manafort seems very dirty. I'd imagine a few state atty gen'ls would want to prosecute him.

If Manafort does get a pardon from Trump, then he can be forced to testify about everything he knows because his 5th amendment privilege will be moot as he can no longer incriminate himself.

[Scurrilous]

10. K&R

[laserhaas]

11. No wonder - Donald the Great - is in panic mode

[Stallion]

12. Nah Not Hiding Nuthin'!!! --But Just In Case We Can Pardon Him Anyway--Trump Can Pardon Himself

the noose is tightening and I'm still confident the whole criminal enterprise is going down

[orangecrush]

13. K&R!

[herding cats]

14. Everyone in prison for witness tampering right now, "pick me, pick me!" To Trump. nt

[csziggy]

15. Reuters article: Manafort attempted to tamper with potential witnesses: U.S. special counsel

Politics
June 4, 2018 / 8:46 PM / Updated 6 minutes ago
Manafort attempted to tamper with potential witnesses: U.S. special counsel

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who has been indicted by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, attempted to tamper with potential witnesses, Mueller said in a court filing on Monday.

<SNIP>

Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, asked the judge overseeing the case in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to revoke or revise an order releasing Manafort ahead of his trial.

FBI Special Agent Brock Domin, in a declaration filed with Mueller’s motion, said Manafort had attempted to call, text and send encrypted messages in February to two people from “The Hapsburg Group,” a firm he worked with to promote the interests of Ukraine.

The FBI has documents and statements from the two people, as well as telephone records and documents recovered through a search of Manafort’s iCloud account showing that Trump’s former campaign manager attempted communication while he was out on bail, according to Domin.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort/manafort-attempted-to-tamper-with-potential-witnesses-u-s-special-counsel-idUSKCN1J1043

[George II]

16. Thanks. I'll put that in the OP. CNN still hasn't put it up on their website.

[Leghorn21]

18. Oh I'm LOVIN this all-caps Kyle Griffin tweet!!!:

Reuters: MANAFORT CALLED, TEXTED AND SENT ENCRYPTED MESSAGES TO TWO
PEOPLE IN FEBRUARY TO "INFLUENCE THEIR TESTIMONY AND TO OTHERWISE
CONCEAL EVIDENCE" - FBI STATEMENT FILED BY MUELLER

Link to tweet

?s=20



HOT damn

[Sanity Claws]

23. That was more than three months ago

Why the delay? Were they waiting to see if he would try to tamper with other witnesses?

[Leghorn21]

33. Well now Sanity, this appears to be the difference between me and Mr. Muller & Co... ME, I would've

snatched his ass up the day after he did this. But Mr. Mueller, he waits patiently and, no doubt, as you say, just kept collecting these tasty tidbits for us all to revel in at a later time...YUMMY!!

And speaking of Sanity/Santa, I bet THIS national hero is having a wonderful evening!!:

[herding cats]

26. Even better.

Link to tweet

One of the witnesses, according to this court filing, said that they believed Manafort's outreach was an attempt to "suborn perjury" or to instruct the witness to lie.

Because putting the thumbscrews on someone to lie for you screams your innocence.

[George II]

20. Here, finally, is the CNN report:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/04/politics/mueller-manafort-witness-tampering/index.html

Mueller accuses Manafort of witness tampering

(CNN)The Special Counsel's Office has accused Paul Manafort of attempting to shape potential witnesses' testimony and has asked to send him to jail as he awaits his trial, according to a filing in DC District Court on Monday night.

Manafort is currently out on house arrest and a $10 million unsecured bail, and is awaiting a trial in Virginia scheduled for late July and a trial in DC scheduled to begin in September. He has pleaded not guilty to charges related to his failure to disclose his lobbying work for a foreign government.

Tampering with a witness is a crime in itself — and it's one Manafort has not yet been charged with.

While never naming the people who were contacted by Manafort, prosecutors describe how Manafort "repeatedly contacted" two people who worked for him and previously assisted in his lobbying and public relations efforts for Ukrainian politicians. Manafort sought to "secure materially false testimony concerning the activities of" an influential group of European leaders, called the Hapsburg group, that Manafort once used to lobby on behalf of Ukraine, the prosecutors say.

[Princess Turandot]

24. According to the very short NY Times article..

..at least one witness dimed Manafort out to the Feds, saying "that he appeared to be trying to coach their story about Mr. Manafort’s lobbying practices."

Sorry, Paul. They're just not interested in going to jail for you.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/politics/paul-manafort-mueller-witness-tampering.html

[George II]

28. Maddow is going over some of the details, including "suborning perjury"!

[DeminPennswoods]

53. Suborning perjury equals witness tampering

Manafort was trying to get these two former partners to lie about where the majority of their lobbying took place (in Europe vice the US).

[DeminPennswoods]

21. Team Mueller must be thrilled for this chance

to revoke bail and give Manafort a taste of life behind bars. How stupid and/or arrogant is Manafort to think he was going to get away with witness tampering?

[tableturner]

32. He knows he's nailed...his 2 choices: obstruct or flip.....he's trying obstruction first.

He knows he's SO screwed! Neither are good options....however.....I think the flipping option just became relatively more favorable (if not absolutely so).

[Sgent]

48. Nope, He's going to plead guilty

and sit quietly in prison hoping Trump pardon's him on his last day. Manafort (rightly IMHO) fears Putin more than Mueller.

[PoliticAverse]

25. "but some crimes, even if Federal, cannot be pardoned by the president". Not true.

The President can pardon for all "offenses against the United States".

I'm sure the Supreme Court would find the President cannot pardon themself though.

[rainy]

37. I thought you could only be pardoned

after a conviction.

[PoliticAverse]

38. No. Nixon was pardoned although never convicted, and Vietnam "draft dodgers"....

were pardoned en-masse without being convicted, for examples.

[Julian Englis]

27. Here's a link to a story on the Hapsburg Group, for those wondering, as some reports cite it.

Heres a link to Februrary 24, 2018, story in the WaPo entitled "The Mueller indictment mentioned the ‘Hapsburg group.’ Now European ex-politicians are under scrutiny."

n an indictment updated Friday, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III accused Paul Manafort and Rick Gates of secretly retaining “a group of former senior European politicians to take positions favorable to Ukraine, including by lobbying in the United States.”

These former European leaders would claim to provide independent assessments of the Kiev government, but would in fact be “paid lobbyists” for Ukraine. In 2012 and 2013, Manafort used at least four offshore bank accounts to wire more than 2 million euros (roughly $2.5 million) to the group, the indictment states.

Though the group's members weren't named, they are collectively given an informal nickname: the “Hapsburg group,” an apparent reference (using an alternative spelling) to the Habsburg royal dynasty that ruled the Holy Roman Empire for centuries.

If the allegations prove accurate, it would be an example of how the American political operatives sought to influence international politics for Manafort's client, the political party of Viktor Yanukovych, then the Ukrainian president. Yanukovych later fled to Russia after protests against his regime.

[BobTheSubgenius]

29. Witness tampering.

Definitely the actions of an innocent man. Good God this is insane. Not *this*....the entire fiasco.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

31. tRump is Witness Tampering and Obstructing by his very public focus on pardons last couple of days.

He's trying to signal something like "Don't talk and I'll pardon you". But Manafort has to talk about lots of things; he can't take the 5th on every little thing. He can try but he can be found in contempt (even if Trumpanzees will scream "process crime!"). He will be forced to confirm crucial details that don't involve himself but that he knows about.

[BadgerMom]

30. K and R

[Xipe Totec]

34. He can't help himself. Like a sexual predator that just made bail

and, on the way out of the court, thanks the judge and slaps her on the rump.

[Stuart G]

35. K and R...

I guess Manafort thought he could get away with this...

.Off to jail ...with no bail..

[bearsfootball516]

36. Manafort was already probably going to be serving life if he didn't flip, right?

So although it's awfully satisfying to see him get busted, do additional charges mean anything? When you're 69 years old and are facing 50 years in prison, what's the difference between serving 50 years and serving 60 years?

[garybeck]

43. more investigations, testimony, and witnesses that could lead to other people indicted. n/t

[Stuart G]

39. Mr. Manafort was out on $10 million ..bail....does that mean he looses it?

$10,000,000...that is a lot of money....who put it up?

[More_Cowbell]

41. Mueller's asking for a revision or revocation of bail

It's up to the judge, I imagine. Manafort, or whoever put up the money, wouldn't lose it. Unless he flees. If he lost his pretrial release and was sent to jail, he would've fulfilled the bail requirement (appearing when he had to) and it would be given back.

[tableturner]

49. You only lose bail if you fail to appear. You don't lose it for committing another crime, but could

of course lose your ability to stay out of jail while awaiting trial because of that.

[More_Cowbell]

40. @SpicyFiles, who has a PACER account, has some of the docs up on her twitter account

Some of the exhibits are emails from years ago. I'm not sure why; maybe to explain what the new (February 2018) witness tampering was about? Apparently the people Manafort contacted preserved his messages and turned them over to Mueller. Nice.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

42. K&R. More pressure to get a flip! n/t

..........

[bluestarone]

44. Take his bail and

PUT HIM IN JAIL!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe he will finally cooperate, and make a deal!!!

[Lucky Luciano]

45. So, does he go to jail AND lose 10 million dollars in rescinded bail? nt

[tableturner]

50. No, only if he fails to appear. You don't lose it for committing another crime, but could

of course lose your ability to stay out of jail while awaiting trial because of that. (This is a re-post of my earlier post #49.)

[Pepsidog]

46. Time to flip Paul. Flip him like a flapjack!

[blue-wave]

47. Whoa, WOW!!

This is right out of Uncle Vlad's playbook I'm sure. These people think they can play by the Russian playbook in a nation governed by the rule of law. They will learn soon. American justice will come down hard on this shit.

[edbermac]

51. Manafort getting a new lawyer.

I.M. Fukt

[magicarpet]

55. Won't $2,000.00 hand tailored suits and hand made Italian dress shoes look odd in the Federal....

..... penitentiary ? Or will Manafort just grunge it up and wear standard issue polyester orange prison garb with flip-flops on his feet ?

Do they serve caviar, lobster and champagne in fed jail ?

😏😁😏

[Blue Owl]

56. He tampered in Rob's domain

[Vinca]

57. Wonder if Manafort is trying to figure out how to get out of the country before now and the hearing.

[George II]

59. Since he had to surrender his passports (he had three), unless he had charters a private jet....

....he won't be able to get out of the country. And even if he would, any country in which he lands will probably send him right back.

[Izzy Blue]

58. Questions about the 2 Manafort cases, DC and Virginia

1. Judge Jackson in DC ruled that Muller didn't overstep his legal boundaries and the case will go forward.

Judge Ellis in Virginia hasn't ruled on Manafort's motion yet and someone kept insisting to me that if he rules in Manafort's favor he'll throw the case out and that's the end of Muellers/Jackson's case in DC.
I

Is that actually possible?


2. If DC Judge Jackson revokes Manafort's bail/house arrest over the witness tampering charge how does if affect his Virgina case?

Thank You!

[George II]

60. My guess is that neither case would be affected by what happens in the other case.

[Izzy Blue]

61. I'm guessing too.

Thanks..

I was under the assumption that Mueller could appeal Elli's ruling and/or refile the charges against him with the state and the DC case just proceeds.

He would be jailed in DC and Virginia's bail would be a moot point then.

[SergeStorms]

62. Off to prison with him.

LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! Fucking asshole.