Why is Paul Manafort risking it all to face Mueller charges in court?

[nitpicker]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/29/paul-manafort-mueller-charges-court-trial-trump

Why is Paul Manafort risking it all to face Mueller charges in court?

The decision to take his chances at trial has startled observers, and raised question as to whom he might be protecting

Jon Swaine

Mon 30 Jul 2018 06.00 BST

Donald Trump’s former presidential campaign chairman will this week risk spending the rest of his life in prison, rather than help Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion with Russia.

Paul Manafort is due to stand trial in Virginia from Wednesday on charges of bank fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy. Manafort, 69, faces prison sentences totalling up to 305 years if convicted on all counts. Then he is due to stand trial on separate charges in Washington. Manafort denies all the charges. “I continue to maintain my innocence,” he said earlier this year in a now-rare public statement.
(snip)

Rick Gates, a senior Trump campaign aide and Manafort business associate who was charged alongside Manafort, agreed in February to cooperate with Mueller and admit conspiracy and lying to the FBI, in return for Mueller dropping his more serious financial charges.
(snip)

Plea deals have also been struck with Mueller by Michael Flynn, Trump’s former campaign aide and White House national security adviser, and George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser on the Trump campaign.

Yet Manafort, remarkably, has stood firm. He has repeatedly tried to have the charges against him dismissed, arguing unsuccessfully that Mueller was improperly given a “blank check” that the special counsel “has cashed, repeatedly”.

Manafort’s decision to take his chances in court has startled many observers. Speculation about whom Manafort may be protecting with his silence – and why – has steadily intensified.
(snip)

In addition to the alleged tax-evasion, Manafort is accused by Mueller’s team of lying to banks about his debts in order to obtain multi-million-dollar loans. He is preparing for the prosecution to subject him to an embarrassing dissection of his former lifestyle.
(snip)

Still, opponents of Trump itching for Mueller to reveal what more he knows about connections between Moscow and the Trump campaign will just have to remain patient.
(snip)

[DetlefK]

1. Because he still thinks he can talk his way out of this.

He's a lobbyist without a conscience. He has worked for the most powerful people, has made a fortune doing so, and has never been held accountable.

His own daughters think that he orchestrated the deaths during the ukrainian uprising to give the rebels a bad name. His own daughters think that their fortune is "blood money."

Manafort has always gotten away with it, and he thinks, he can get away with it again.

[SeattleVet]

2. Because he's way more afraid of Russian mobsters than Mueller.

He in debt way above his eyeballs to the Russian mob, and can't pay them.

At this point being able to stay alive in a Federal prison is a much better deal for him than the much shortened lifespan offered by the people that loaned him many millions of dollars, and would like to have it all paid back, with interest.

[blue cat]

3. Because

He and everyone that he loves will be poisoned without a doubt. All we can do is put him in jail.

[duforsure]

4. Because he's stupid,

He thinks either he'll get a pardon, or be allowed to exist in prison. Trump won't pardon him , and after he's in prison they know he knows too much , and they'll make sure he won't talk, ever. Witness protection is his only option , and that's running out of time to get too. He won't last long before he talks or is silenced .

[Lonestarblue]

5. I think Manafort is afraid of Putin.

People who cross Donald’s good friend Vlad have a habit of not living long. And he may think that it’s only white collar crime, which is often excused in this country, and if he keeps silent he will get only a few years in jail in a facility that isn't too harsh. Perhaps he believes that his only protection is to keep silent because Putin does not want to lose his stooge in the White House. It has been obvious from the beginning that Manafort was sent to work on the Trump campaign. Few people are willing to do jobs like that for free, and he had been out of U.S. politics for decades. Manafort was also instrumental in steering Trump to choose Pence as his VP—for what reason we don’t really know, but I will speculate that Pence would easily be controlled by the Russians because his ambition is to be president any way possible, Putin has a ready backup stooge if Trump’s craziness and illegal acts get him impeached.

[blueinredohio]

6. Because he knows in the end Trump will pardon him.

[Dan]

13. Debating

What is the cheaper option for Putin?

Someone’s life in prison can be purchased for a carton of cigarettes.

Does Putin want lose ends - does Trump?

Poor Paul, he might be the man who knows too much.

[NCjack]

7. He is holding a poker hand with 3 aces.

Last edited Mon Jul 30, 2018, 08:54 AM - Edit history (1)

He needs only one juror to vote "not guilty".
He is working for a Trump pardon.
He is working for a Putin trade for someone Russia is holding and we want back in USA.

[marble falls]

8. The first ace won't work because he'll just be retried. The second one won't work because ...

cheetolini's depending on a Pence pardon himself. The third one won't work because the US has never ever traded one American for another ever before, and ending up in Russia might be fatal to his health - what possible good can he offer Putin sitting Moscow???

[NCjack]

9. That's his hand. He just threw away two crappy cards and got two new ones.

Maybe he now has the 4th ace -- that being something more important than all that Mueller knows, and worth a deal with no prison and all charges dismissed.

[beachbum bob]

10. manafort is playing a fools game dictated by head fool trump....once mueller has the conviction AND

strips all of Manafort's money/assets and perhaps money/assets of the manafort family VIA Rico Law, no pardon restores the loss money or assets.

I just hope Mueller will use RICO, that sends a message to trump clear. We can come for you and your family and ALL your assets and money.

[Ninga]

11. The corrupt Manafort has spent his entire lifetime hedging bets, taking enormous risks, and

being loyal to whom ever would line his pockets.

But.

Being on trial, every word spoken is about you, your family looking stricken sitting behind you, is well, a new and different ball game.

My bet is that he will flip sometime week 3 or 4 of the trial.

[lagomorph777]

12. Novichok

...or polonium, or whatever Putin's latest exotic toy is.