Manafort Trial Updates

[iluvtennis]

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/manafort-trial/index.html

"A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him."
Asonye, who faced jurors, then went on to describe how Paul Manafort made $60 million in Ukraine and he didn't report it to the federal government. He described how Manafort used his own 30 bank accounts in three foreign countries to create sham loans and collect untaxed income he spent on luxury goods, like a $15,000 custom ostrich jacket, a $21,000 watch and cars.

In one piece of evidence that prosecutors will show in court, Manafort refers to a secret foreign bank account as "my account," Asonye said. Manafort and his business associates also lied on several forms sent to his tax preparers, banks and the IRS by signing documents that said the foreign accounts did not exist, he said.

"As the old adage goes, just follow the money," Asonye told the jury. "Paul Manafort orchestrated these crimes."

Manafort sat looking at his papers on the desk in front of him as Asonye called him a liar. Manafort's wife sat stoically, looking at the floor as the prosecutor attacked her husband.

...continued at the link

[H2O Man]

1. Recommended.

Thank you!

[marylandblue]

2. Are they going to auction off his ostrich jacket to pay his back taxes?

Because my jacket has a stain on it and I'd like to replace it.

[Leghorn21]

6. Hey, smarty pants! - is yours with or without feathers?!

I must lead a sheltered life; never heard of an “ostrich jacket” before!!?
But then, you and Paul deserve the very best, amirite, blue?!!

[marylandblue]

17. It's not my fault! I have delicate skin. I am allergic to clothes under $10,000!

[Chellee]

19. You should try some caviar cream for your delicate skin.

It comes with the customary tacky gold lid favored by Trumps everywhere.

[dameatball]

22. If you try to put a jacket on an ostrich is it dangerous??.....:))

[2naSalit]

3. K&R

[More_Cowbell]

4. I can't believe his wife is there

After all the information came out about what he made her do.

[BigmanPigman]

14. That is what I was thinking and

it runs across my mind everytime I see her.

[SHRED]

15. I missed what happened

What did he make her do?

[mr_lebowski]

26. Not much, really, just forced her to sexually service roomfuls of strange men for his gratification

All exposed because their adult children were texting one another about it, wondering if she'd gotten STD checks, why she's not left him yet, why he hasn't gotten the sex addiction counseling he promised he would, etc. Hackers got into his daughter's iphone and published a bunch of her text records with siblings on the darkweb >1 year ago, now they're on the regular internet, and searchable.

100% legit ... like 280,000 messages between the kids have been revealed.

Can't believe anyone has missed this story ... no offense ...

[SHRED]

27. Wow. Can't believe I missed that

[Hekate]

5. KnR. Thanks!

[Leghorn21]

7. K&R; thanks, luv - eom

[ffr]

8. I like feel good stories, where the bad guy gets his karma. Keep them coming.

[empedocles]

9. A very positive thing for the prosecution

is that a major aim of the defense is trying to pin the [very obvious] wrongdoing on Gates. Hard to hide the 60 million dollars in ____ money elephant under Gates, not to mention the "Oligarch/political elephants' that Manafort was negotiating with and close to.

The speed of the first day progress of the trial is by all accounts remarkable.

[Scurrilous]

10. K&R

[lunatica]

11. Thanks!

Man! I wish it was televised!

[iluvtennis]

23. Me too.

[SunSeeker]

12. K & R

[grantcart]

13. Manaforts' attorneys: It was Gates.

From the thread

Paul Manafort's defense attorney Thomas Zehnle told the jury his team planned to pin all the crimes the government has accused Manafort of on his longtime deputy Rick Gates.

Gates pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and lying to federal investigators in February. Gates was charged with several crimes in the Virginia case, but after his plea, those charges were dropped.

Manafort's "trust in Rick Gates was misplaced," Zehnle said. Gates changed his story over time — to the point of saying anything to the government, he said. And Gates found himself in a legal bind "because he embezzled millions of dollars from his longtime employer" — Manafort, Zehnle said.

This is the first time Manafort's team has revealed its strategy in full. It's a bold move, especially given that Gates could also be a key witness in other pieces of Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election.

In other words they have nothing

[George II]

16. So Gates did all the dirty work but Manafort reaped the benefits? Can't wait to hear Gates testify.

[AwakeAtLast]

25. So their defense is that Manafort is an idiot

He really wants to go to jail!

[FakeNoose]

18. Will any of the trial be shown live on TV?

There hasn't been much on MSNBC today but I imagine it will be discussed on Rachel or Lawrence's show tonight.
No trial videos, I'm assuming they won't be allowed.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

20. No electronic devices allowed into the courtroom. . . . nt

[Honeycombe8]

21. I wish it were televised. nt

[iluvtennis]

24. I'm an avid trial watcher, but have never seen a federal trial televised - think it's not

allowed...we only get the artists drawings and the reporter summaries from the courtroom.