UPDATED: Manafort, Gates charged with conspiracy against US

[PunkinPi]

Last edited Mon Oct 30, 2017, 10:40 AM - Edit history (5)

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) - Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is turning himself in Monday to Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Manafort was indicted under seal on Friday and is planning to turn himself in, the source said.

The indictment is expected to be unsealed later Monday.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

<UPDATE: The indictment against the two men contains 12 counts: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

The charges do not cover any activities related to the campaign, though it's possible Mueller could add additional charges.> (more at link)


CNN video of Manafort Surrender via Twitter

Link to tweet

Indictment Charges -- https://www.justice.gov/file/1007271/download

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/30/politics/paul-manafort-russia-investigation-surrender/index.html

---

This news is being constantly updated by CNN, so title keeps changing. I'll try to keep it updated.

[BumRushDaShow]

1. New York Times link

Paul Manafort, Who Once Ran Trump Campaign, Told to Surrender

WASHINGTON — Paul Manafort and his former business associate Rick Gates were told to surrender to federal authorities Monday morning, the first charges in a special counsel investigation, according to a person involved in the case.

The charges against Mr. Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, and Mr. Gates, a business associate of Mr. Manafort, were not immediately clear but represent a significant escalation in a special counsel investigation that has cast a shadow over the president’s first year in office.

Mr. Gates is a longtime protégé and junior partner of Mr. Manafort. His name appears on documents linked to companies that Mr. Manafort’s firm set up in Cyprus to receive payments from politicians and businesspeople in Eastern Europe, records reviewed by The New York Times show.

Mr. Manafort had been under investigation for violations of federal tax law, money laundering and whether he appropriately disclosed his foreign lobbying.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/us/politics/paul-manafort-indicted.html

[turbinetree]

19. I wonder if old Wilbur Ross can explain some things, since he was the vice-president of the Bank

all one has to do is type Manafort and Ross and you get a lot of sites, and yes I am throwing stones, until he answers some basic questions


http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-russia-connection-and-wilbur-ross-2017-5


http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/04/trump-financial-ties-russia-money-laundering-banks-oligarchs-manafort/

[BumRushDaShow]

21. Roger Stone is right in the middle of it too

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9768191

[turbinetree]

29. And the kid, daughters and other other halfs, and everyone that was at that convention speaking

with foreign spy from Russia


Wheres the orange tints tweets now.................

[BumRushDaShow]

32. Kushner is definitely in hot water.

Meanwhile Drumpf is railing about nonsense!

Link to tweet

TEXT
Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump

Report out that Obama Campaign paid $972,000 to Fusion GPS. The firm also got $12,400,000 (really?) from DNC. Nobody knows who OK'd!
4:37 AM - 30 Oct 2017

Love David Corn's troll tweet yesterday -

Link to tweet

TEXT
David Corn
✔
@DavidCornDC

You're forgetting your previous rhetoric. Remember you said you fired Comey because he was unfair to HRC. If your lawyers don't help you keep your story straight, you might want to get new lawyers. #GreatestMemory

Link to tweet

…
11:25 AM - Oct 29, 2017

[turbinetree]

36. This bunch haven't figured out that they are just like fish getting thrown on a beach

gasping for air....................and he doesn't realize that his world is going to collapse and he has no control, none, and his only option is to fire Mueller and watch all hell break out, and Pence and the others in this gang should be worried.

I keep thinking of Dana Rohrabacher and that other idiots from California Nunes and McCarthy, and then there is Paul Ryan..................

who had to known something.....................

[BumRushDaShow]

38. It may be a little worse than that

From what I understand, Drumpf can't directly "fire" Mueller. He would have to direct Rosenstein to do it and if Rosenstein doesn't, then we get the Nixon scenario of a "massacre" and DOJ official-shopping for someone to do it (which might also be why Dana Boente resigned other than having been asked to submit a resignation by Keebler Elf).

[Roland99]

2. I figured him or Flynn

Wonder how much he’ll squeal now?

[BumRushDaShow]

3. This first action may be to prompt Flynn to cooperate as well.

[Raven123]

6. I wouldn't hold my breath

Trump will claim he hardly knew the guy and just did him a favor by giving him a job. If they get one of the family, then we'll have a story.

[leftynyc]

7. He was his campaign chairman

Claiming he hardly knew him isn't going to fool anyone except the fox news imbeciles.

[Raven123]

14. And the GOP in Congress and the Trump voters and the self-proclaimed

Evangelical Christian Trump supporters

[leftynyc]

25. Let them deny until the cows come home

and lets remember that nixon had a 29% approval rating the day before he resigned. They don't matter.

[watoos]

30. You beat me to it

It matters not what Trump's cult believes. Once people start pleading guilty or start getting convicted, (the feds have an over 90% conviction record) the cult can't claim witch hunt.
I hope this doesn't ruin Trump's weekly golf outings. (sarcasm)

[BumRushDaShow]

39. If it hadn't rained over the weekend

he would have definitely been at one of his courses for sure!

[LiberalLovinLug]

63. Well, they CAN claim "witch hunt" and probably still will.

And that everyone outside of Trumps inner circle are all corrupt Washington elites and part of the "deep state" that has been attacking their Dear Leader from the beginning. Now they have fabricated evidence to fool the American public. But gall dangit, they won't be falling for it. And RW hate radio and Fox News will be blasting this out 24/7 to reinforce that message.

[AntiFascist]

68. Trump should stop railing against the "deep state"...

in light of Manafort's connections. Obviously he has been trying to redefine the term in the United States, but it originally refered to ultra-right anti-Communist criminal organizations centered in Turkey, the likes of which sound much like those who support Putin in Russia:

https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/03/economist-explains-6

But the deep state started life as something else entirely. Citizens in Turkey, where the term originated, have long worried about the derin devlet (“deep state”), which refers to a network of individuals in different branches of government, with links to retired generals and organised crime, that existed without the knowledge of high-ranking military officers and politicians. Its goal was purportedly to preserve secularism and destroy communism by any means necessary, outside the regular chain of command. Starting in the 1950s Turkey’s deep state sponsored killings, engineered riots, colluded with drug traffickers, staged “false flag” attacks and organised massacres of trade unionists. Thousands died in the chaos it fomented.

In its present avatar, “deep state” seems set to go the way of “fake news” in American discourse, a once-useful term rendered meaningless by promiscuous repetition, often in reference to quite different things. Turkey is a pioneer here too. After a handful of city councils in Germany recently cancelled rallies in support for Mr Erdogan, Turkey’s foreign minister offered a simple explanation: “This is a systematic move of the German deep state”.

[SergeStorms]

69. If there is any "deep state",

you can bet it's controlled by the fascists in the GOP. That sort of think is in their bailiwick, not Democrats'.

[bronxiteforever]

12. So the successful CEO who ran a reality show based on hiring an employee

For his company and this ceo is also POTUS hardly knew his own campaign manager?

[liberalnarb]

15. Right. This is big. I hope to see them all behind bars ASAP.

[Raven123]

16. We all know how DT works.

I wouldn't be surprise if he claims he fired Manafort because of the issues raised in the indictment.

[Roland99]

20. The party of personal responsibility deflects blame at every opportunity

[bronxiteforever]

40. You mean he is a professional liar!

[Honeycombe8]

46. Yep. Me, too. Who the heck is Rick Gates? nt

[Roland99]

48. More here

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/04/paul_manafort_isn_t_a_gop_retread_he_s_made_a_career_of_reinventing_tyrants.html

[Honeycombe8]

54. Thanks! nt

[SergeStorms]

70. Ha!

"Manafort is a person who doesn’t necessarily show himself. There’s nothing egotistical about him,” says the economist Anders Aslund, who advised the Ukrainian government."

That's why Trump gave him his walking papers. In Trumpworld, a man without an overbearing ego is no kind of man at all. If you don't have a narcissistic ego complex, there's no place for your at the Trump table.

[SusanaMontana41]

73. "They call him Flipper, Flipper ..."

[B Stieg]

4. WaPo to Confirm soon

Nick Confessor (ironically) confirms on Morning Joe.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

5. Always say "Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort"

[Botany]

13. +1 and the Trump campaign had no contact w/Russia too

[harun]

59. +1

[mobeau69]

8. Sweet. n/t

[Blue Owl]

9. It's like Manafort from heaven

[Botany]

10. I hope he flips

[hamsterjill]

22. I dont think he will.

Please know that I would love to be wrong but I don’t think Manafort will cave. The stakes (i.e., his very life) are too high.

Gates??? Maybe...

[Honeycombe8]

47. I agree. He's a top level criminal who has probably spent a lifetime doing what he does.

He doesn't squeal. Loyalty oaths and all. Like the mob. Ironic that his boss's name at the time: The Don.

[briv1016]

67. I doubt he gives two shits about Donald.

But it's way too dangerous to flip on Putin's chosen one. He has a family.

[woundedkarma]

11. Manafort and the fear

Nobody should be surprised if this is true.

Manafort has been behind/involved with this whole thing from the start. He's the focal point, the center. He connects everything in the U.S with everything in Russia.

What I am very worried about is that Mueller isn't as incorruptible as everyone in the media and Washington think and that he will go after Manafort. Manafort will take the fall. And it'll be "oh well Manafort was the real criminal here, the Trumps were just kind of caught in the Putin-Manafort web" blah blah.

[Raven123]

17. Shhhhh, you are giving the GOP a talking point

[Kolesar]

23. Pence and the Kochs don't need Putin to get done what they need to get done

They could scare Pres. Fathead off the stage and take over.

[leftynyc]

41. You're focused on the wrong guy

Richard Gates - who is the Manafort associate also indicted - worked with the donnie team right up until inauguration:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/associate-of-paul-manafort-trumps-ousted-campaign-manager-now-planning-the-inauguration-173000661.html

[orangecrush]

52. your concern

is duly noted.

[mobeau69]

18. Rick Gates is next. n/t

[FailureToCommunicate]

24. Just because it's such fun to watch again...

[LiberalLovinLug]

72. ha ha thanks

I hadn't seen that yet. Made my day.

[hamsterjill]

26. Perp walk!!! Perp walk!!!!

n/t

[leftynyc]

27. Any word on the charges?

[PunkinPi]

37. Manafort & Gates being charged with

conspiracy against US, money laundering, false statements, etc..

link to charges --> https://www.justice.gov/sco

[leftynyc]

42. Thanks, and Gates

worked with donnie's team right up to planning the inauguration:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/associate-of-paul-manafort-trumps-ousted-campaign-manager-now-planning-the-inauguration-173000661.html

[IronLionZion]

28. Watch Paul Manafort turn himself in

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/10/30/paul-manafort-turns-himself-in-fbi-headquarters-newday.cnn

I hope this to be the first of many wonderful perp walks.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

33. tRump still thinks Donald only selects the best, the very best. (He fires them too.). . . nt

[Raven123]

35. If it is true that the indictment is over taxes and files now d/t statute of limitations

It is interesting in that Mueller couldn't decide the timeline, which may be bad luck but more interesting to know that Mueller is following the money. Who knows where that may lead?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

43. "In all more than $75,000,000 flowed" and $18 million was laundered. Gates benefitted by $3 million.

Six pages listing transactions through third parties originating in Cyprus for millions of dollars of purchases in the USA.

For example $934,350 for an antique rug vendor in Alexandria, Virginia.

$849,215 at a men's clothing store in New York City.

The document uses the words "lavish lifestyle".

[dhol82]

50. So, if it goes through Cyprus

When will we hear about Wilbur Ross being indicted?

[TexasBushwhacker]

60. I could live for 20 years on what he spent on clothes

Talk about wretched excess.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

61. He may have sold them or given them away as way to launder money to clothes to cash / obligations.nt

[TexasBushwhacker]

62. Ah, that would make sense n/t

[orangecrush]

44. TREASON

to put it plainly.

[sarisataka]

49. Not even close

Unfortunately

[orangecrush]

51. even better

Just read that the use of "conspiracy" in the indictment was intentional, as Trump cannot pardon co-conspirators.

[onenote]

65. several people have written here that Trump can't pardon co-conspirators - they're wrong

Don't believe everything you read.

There is nothing in the Constitution, the statutory law, or court decisions that suggests he couldn't pardon co-conspirators.

Plus, the indictment doesn't name him as a co-conspirator so how could such a rule, even if it existed, apply here?

[WinkyDink]

56. "conspiracy against the United States" means what, to you?

[sarisataka]

57. It doesn't matter what I think it means

What matters is what the law says. Read it for yourself-
18 U.S. Code § 371
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/371

[Glimmer of Hope]

45. TRAITOR!

Lock his ass up!

[Honeycombe8]

53. Expect Fox News to hit the button: "Manafort a guy who did money laundering....

not indicted for "collusion." Trump not involved. So I guess they didn't have any evidence of Trump colluding with Russia or there would have been an indictment against him. There's no story here involving Trump, folks. Move on!"

[WinkyDink]

55. "conspiracy against the United States"---AKA, TREASON. What might Gorka have to say on THIS?

[onenote]

66. Please stop. Conspiracy against the US is not the same as, even remotely, treason.

Conspiracy against the US is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison, as defined in 18 US 371, cited in the indictment (which I'm guessing you haven't read).

The indictment makes clear that the crimes that Manafort and Gates are alleged to have conspired to commit are those described in counts 3 through 6 of the indictment (Failure to Report Reports of Foreign Bank and Foreign Financial Accounts for Calendar Years 2011-2014) and counts 10 through 12 (unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA statements, and false statements).

[IronLionZion]

58. Manafort should sing like a canary

because he has no future anyway, might as well take the rest of them down for a reduced sentence

[Loyd]

64. Future Name: Man-in-Fort Dix

Where there are many Gates.

[TalenaGor]

71. my first meme...

https://imgflip.com/i/1yj519

Not sure how to make it show up...