Judge hands down first sentence in Mueller probe

[DaDeacon]

Source: The Hill

A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan to 30 days in prison for lying to federal investigators, according to multiple reports, in the first criminal sentence to result from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

Van der Zwaan, who was also ordered to pay $20,000 in fines, pleaded guilty in late February to making “materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations” to the special counsel’s office and FBI agents.

According to the indictment, Van der Zwaan lied about his contacts with Trump campaign official Richard Gates and a Ukraine-based business associate of both Gates and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. He then tried to cover his tracks by deleting emails that the special counsel's office had requested.

Press reports have identified the businessman as Konstantin Kilimnik, a former Russian intelligence officer and a longtime associate of Gates and Manafort.

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/381413-judge-hands-down-first-sentence-in-mueller-probe

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dammmmn....

[iluvtennis]

1. 30 days - what an insult. You or I lie to FBI/other law enforcement and we're going down.

white male privilege.

[dameatball]

2. Either that or he dished up something Muaeller wanted in exchange for leniency. We shall see.

[Raster]

3. No, it probably means that Van Der Whatever has probably rolled over...

...and is now actively cooperating with Team Mueller.

[Clarity2]

12. Somehow I doubt that

He seems to me the least likely to ever flip. His father in law is a russian oligarch, and I dont think he was facing a lot of time even if the book was thrown at him. Theres just not enough incentive there.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

26. No question.

[YessirAtsaFact]

4. Cooperating witness privilege?

Just a guess

[Texin]

6. That and perhaps saving him from being shanked inside by a Putin or tRump paid assassin.

[mpcamb]

16. Cooperating witness- wonder what he spilled to do only 30 days...

[chia]

5. Maybe part of a plea deal?

I'd be okay with it if he was useful to Mueller.

[atreides1]

7. I wonder

With this conviction, and him being a Dutch national, isn't he a candidate for deportation once he completes his sentence?

[sandensea]

8. 30 days?

I bet he's got a small castle in Belgium waiting for him, courtesy of Uncle Vlad.

[SunSeeker]

15. He'll definitely need some free digs.

The Skadden law firm Van Der Zwaan was working at fired him last year and is cooperating with the investigation.  Now he has a felony on his record related to lying. Good luck finding a legal job.

[Corgigal]

9. This appears to be a high maintenance man.

He will sing, if he hasn't already by day 7.

Put me down for ten, our DU bookie.

[SunSeeker]

10. MSNBC reported last night that the sentence was not expected to be more than 6 months.

And could very well simply be probation. Not sure why. But given that reporting, the 30 day sentence is not a surprise.

[stonecutter357]

11. 24 / 7 !

[Julian Englis]

13. Let's hope he earned the same name as a TeeVee dolphin

Flipper!

[OnDoutside]

14. My understanding was that he had agreed to cooperate, but then lied to Mueller. The 30 days is

a little slap, to say "don't lie to us", presumably because he then came clean.

[sinkingfeeling]

17. Martha Stewart received 5 months plus 2 years probation for lying to feds.

[kwassa]

18. well, she's a hardened criminal.

[iluvtennis]

23. And a woman.

[marble falls]

19. The maximum was only 90 days. They just needed this guy to plead guilty...

this is a big conspiracy: if one person is guilty, then there are other guilty. The first small cakes, the first domino.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

20. Lock him up! Lock him up!

[ailsagirl]

21. I hope this isn't indicative of future "slap on the wrist" sentences for the other creeps

[nolabels]

22. Maybe thinking back a bit, Nixon engaged as a traitor to the US

Then got many US soldiers killed because of it and only was only issued a get of jail card (pardon) under the misnomer of 'obstruction of justice' and then took his retirement.

Knowing this, I don't get my hopes up when it comes to seeing federal government being able to solve much as it pertains to policing their own.

[Honeycombe8]

24. Pretty light sentence. But it was a plea deal, and at least it has prison time.

It sends a message, also. The next guy may think about having to serve prison time, and that maybe he won't be so lucky as to get only 30 days. And he'll have a felony conviction on his record.

[Kablooie]

25. So that's what these guys get for lying? 30 days.

We may be in for a huge disappointment if that's the most they can get.
No deterrent at all.