Manafort statement on new charges and Gates flipping: I continue to maintain my innocence

[emulatorloo]

Whining about Gates and still thinks he can outsmart Mueller’s team. Delusional arrogant fool.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/former-trump-campaign-aide-rick-gates-set-plead-guilty-n849256

Mueller probe: Manafort hit with new charges after Gates pleads guilty
by ANDREA MITCHELL, TRACY CONNOR, TOM WINTER and PETE WILLIAMS

WASHINGTON — Former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort was hit with new charges on Friday, including an allegation he secretly recruited and funded a group of former European politicians to lobby in the United States on behalf of Ukraine.

The superseding indictment was filed just a couple of hours after Manafort's business partner, former campaign aide Rick Gates, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to lying to investigators — even while he was negotiating a deal with Mueller.

<snip>

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Manafort said he has no plans to follow suit and make a deal with Mueller, who is probing Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible ties to the Trump campaign.

"I continue to maintain my innocence," Manafort said.

"I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence. For reasons yet to surface he chose to do otherwise. This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled up charges contained in the indictments against me.”

<snip>

[HipChick]

1. Enjoy your time in jail..

[emulatorloo]

2. Seth Abramsons take

“Keep in mind Manafort will publicly maintain his innocence right up until the very second he signs a plea deal. He has to do that to get the best possible deal.”

Link to tweet

[Mr. Ected]

3. Get real, Paulie Boy - those indictments are good as gold

Between guilty pleas and trials, the conviction rate was 99.8% in U.S. federal courts in 2015: 126,802 convictions and 258 acquittals. That wasn’t an anomaly. In 2014 the conviction rate was 99.76% and in 2013 it was 99.75%.

Rest assured all this talk from Manafort about being railroaded and that a vigorous defense will bear that out is nothing more than extraordinarily wishful thinking combined with a dash of PR.

In the real world, federal prosecutors don't set a trap unless they know it's going to snap shut on the accused. And with a Dream Team of 18 prosecutors hand-picked for the job....

GOODBYE MR. MANAFORT!

[briv1016]

4. He wants to live long enough to see another Christmas.

Putin may still take him out just to stay on the safe side. He also has kids.

[blake2012]

5. I wish this bozo would do the right thing and rat out Trump and all the other GOP

but I am sure the Russians would drop him quicker than quick once he cops a plea. It's like the mafia but with elected officials and their ilk.

[dalton99a]

6. Like a good Mafia soldier who values his life