Manafort trial will test Mueller's Russia investigation and Trump's 'witch hunt' charge
We are about to see the first test of special counsel Robert Mueller's charges in the Paul Manafort trial that starts Tuesday, and the consequences will be critical not only for Manafort but also for President Donald Trump. If Mueller wins a conviction, and I predict he will, it will severely undercut Trump's contention that the Mueller investigation into Russia's attack on the 2016 election is nothing more than a politically motivated "witch hunt."
The multicount indictment against Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign manager, alleges two kinds of crimes: 1) hiding from U.S. authorities, including the IRS, millions of dollars in payments for work on behalf of the pro-Russian political party in Ukraine and then-President Viktor Yanukovych; and 2) falsifying applications for loans from banks after Yanukovych was deposed and Manafort's income plunged precipitously, imperiling his extravagant lifestyle.
The Eastern District of Virginia, where the case will be tried, is famous for its fast pace, or "rocket docket." I have tried cases there as a government attorney, and typically the court would move all stages, including jury selection, at breakneck speed. Nevertheless, given the prominence of the case and the likelihood that many potential jurors will have heard of Manafort, it probably will take two days to seat a jury, in which case opening statements would occur Thursday.
A characteristic failing of many prosecutors is presenting more evidence than necessary, resulting in a plodding and sometimes hard-to-follow narrative. There is no chance Mueller falls prey to such overkill. The prosecution's case will rather be streamlined and fast-paced, with only the detail necessary to wrap everything up at the end.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/07/30/paul-manafort-trial-test-trump-mueller-witch-hunt-claim-column/859561002/