Paul Manafort trial Day 9: Judge seals discussion of Rick Gates, Trump and the ongoing Mueller...

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post



Paul Manafort trial Day 9: Judge seals discussion of Rick Gates, Trump and the ongoing Mueller investigation

By Rachel Weiner, Matt Zapotosky, Lynh Bui and Tom Jackman
August 10 at 9:21 AM

Paul Manafort, President Trump’s onetime campaign chairman, is on trial in federal court in Alexandria on bank and tax fraud charges. Prosecutors allege he failed to pay taxes on millions he made from his work for a Russia-friendly Ukrainian political party, then lied to get loans when the cash stopped coming in.

The case is being prosecuted by the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

9:21 a.m.: Is Rick Gates providing further cooperation to the Mueller investigation? Judge seals transcript

The judge overseeing the Paul Manafort trial on Thursday granted a request from the special counsel’s office to keep secret a conversation that might shed light on its ongoing investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia.

The conversation came on Tuesday, as Rick Gates, Manafort’s business partner who worked on both the Trump campaign and the Trump inaugural, was on the witness stand. During his cross examination of Gates, Manafort defense attorney Kevin Downing asked, if, during Gates’s cooperation with the special counsel after he agreed to a plea deal, he was interviewed about the Trump campaign. Gates said he had been.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2018/08/10/paul-manafort-trial-day-9-live-coverage/?utm_term=.86cc8cc51666

[jcgoldie]

1. This is the bench conversation that Rachel has spent so much time talking about

Things that make you say hmmmmm?!?

[BumRushDaShow]

2. I think I had heard that there was 6 pages of transcript or something like that. nt

[Botany]

3. IOW

Trump and Russia

[Fred Sanders]

4. Seems the defence was caught by surprise by the answer? Hard to say not being in the room.

Why would they ask that not knowing the answer? Cardinal sin of cross examination.

Armchair analysis: not good for Trump...campaign being dragged into a fraud and tax case we have been told all along has nothing to do with Trump campaign...even by Trump, incessantly.

[beachbum bob]

5. the issue for the defense is to use Mueller's investigation into trump as a reason for

unfair prosecution of Manafort..this would info would "reaffirm" the defense's "suspicions" that gates is lying to save his own ass

[matt819]

6. I thought

the judge said at the beginning of the trial there would be no mention of Trump/Russia.

That said, interesting that the judge didn't prevent it, or Gates's answer. Or that the prosecution didn't object.

Curiouser and curiouser.

[blitzen]

8. I think the prosecution did object and then...

...they had a sidebar in which gates' cooperation with another investigation, probably Trump campaign-related, was mentioned a few times....prosecution filed a motion to keep that part of the transcript, the sidebar, sealed and the motion was granted by the judge last night...bottom line, judge seems convinced that gates is an important witness in that other investigation....which is likely much more of a danger to Trump than this case, which is limited to manaforts personal financial corruption...at any rate the defense dropped that line of questioning

[matt819]

9. Thanks

Clearly you are following this trial very closely.

[ArizonaLib]

10. Yes Judge Ellis is a biased idiot

Judge Ellis can't keep his composure together in a paper trial (having had to apologize to the jury), just like all other conservatives who can't cheat their way to win - they become emotionally infantile. Not even passionate - just emotionally weak.

[Ponietz]

7. "Meanwhile, Manafort has been all smiles."

A fair and impartial jury depends on a fair and impartial judge. I have questions.
[link:https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/manafort-trial/index.html|

[Grasswire2]

11. The judge is 78 years old, appointed by Reagan.

How was he assigned to this trial, anyone know? Do they draw straws?