But but but… the pardon …
Manafort talking about dealing. Papadopoulos sentenced. Bloomberg reports that SDNY is investigating Trump executives for campaign finance violations. And Obama returns.
Donnie is having a bad day.
Oh, Paulie. Won’t see him no more.
Sources report that the long-delayed agreement continues to be held up by one sticking point – Manafort’s demand for a food taster.
“They’re happy to give him one, but no one will do it.” a source said.
Couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy.
I just keep praying that he will, in the words of one unnamed intelligence community person, “die in prison.”
Make it conditional that he has to kiss Dotard on both cheeks, as Paulie lowers the boom on Dotard.
“Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is in discussion with prosecutors about pleading guilty to some of the charges he’s facing…”
“Manafort’s change in strategy coincides with a switch in legal representation, to the well-known international firm of Kalashnikov, Polonium & Novichok.”
Don’t short change our duly elected president. The preferred terminology is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
http://kinderbooks.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/97806897117322.jpg
And somewhere Michael Cohen softly weeps as he watches his value drop to zero.
Well, when I add in the takeaway from Obama’s blistering speech, I’m having a good day. The only thing that would make it better is if a few GOP senators started having second thoughts about supporting Kavanaugh.
I’m so very glad that you are!!! 
His daughters were on the prosecutors witness list. Could be that the family wants to avoid a trial. One daughter has petitioned to change her surname. The attorneys fees are adding up and he’s already in financial trouble. I just hope that he will become a cooperating witness as well.
Yes, he is. A bit more and I will feel like it was a fulfilling day.
I would not put it past the GOP at this point, to let things get so extreme for the ability to make merry until the dog has to be put down. Trump for all his blathering is ripe for the plucking. So why not take what you can then play the hero by shutting him down.
I guess that a 14-day sentence looks pretty good to Paulie.
Yea in his dreams. He hasn’t been sentenced for the first convictions yet, has he?
That was exactly what I thought when I saw “14 days” and “Manafort looks to plead” at about the same time on a Friday with a sentencing coming down.
I was going to ask The Team the same question, is there a sentence yet from The Poet Judge?
A person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the talks have been about what charges Manafort would plea guilty to and the recommendation that special counsel Robert Mueller’s prosecutors would make to the judge for his sentence.
There seems to be something missing here. It can’t be focused only on what charges and the sentencing recommendation. There has to be some discussion about cooperation too, no? I can’t imagine Mueller would agree to a plea that doesn’t involve cooperation. So does that mean that Manafort has already agreed to cooperate and therefore the focus is now on the charges and sentencing?
I said a few weeks ago that the first article on this topic represented round 1 of negotiations. Clearly another round is happening. The Patten guilty plea may have convinced Manafort that the jig is finally up. Patten’s and Manafort’s paths cross too much with respect to Ukraine and Kilimnick. He knows he is certain to be convicted. I hope he does conclude a plea deal and gives up everything relating to Trump and his Russia ties. While I think Mueller has enough to get the entire Trump campaign and family, Manafort can provide some added direct witness testimony. From the standpoint of USIC, Manafort might be able to provide a lot of insight about how Russian intel interacts with oligarchs and foreign politicians. Let’s see what happens, but the fact we’re hearing about this for a second time in 3 weeks tells me the discussions are real.
Anyone can decide to plead guilty at any time without having any kind of deal.
If he knows he’s 99% likely to be convicted, again, and knows that his existing convictions could result in a virtual life sentence, he could choose to plea guilty simply to avoid incurring another million or so in attorneys’ fees.
Even if that is his inclination, he’s still going to try to get something out of the prosecutors. Most likely, his lawyers would ask for a reduced sentencing recommendation on the existing convictions and on the pending charges. But he has very little leverage at this point and the big question is whether he has anything that Mueller wants and feels is worth offering any kind of deal. Remember, Gates is cooperating. Flynn is cooperating. Cohen may be cooperating and at the least is desperate to get a deal.
When it comes to pleading out, the rule is: you snooze, you lose.