Yeah! Look at the courtroom and all the attention Iām getting. Think Iāll drag this out as long as possible, then let him walk.
Soooooā¦ He passed a bunch of polling data to his russkie buddies because they were just fellow political junkies hanging around TPM for their fix?
More showboating from the judgeā¦I guess weāll find out soon if itās just performance or if he really intends to let Manafort off with a light sentence in spite of his crimes. Even leaving out whatever involvement he had with the Russian influence campaign, Manafort did a lot of bad things, and not punishing him will send completely the wrong message to other lobbyists who want to interfere in our government.
āManafort sat in a wheelchair and carried a cane as the hearing beganā¦ā
Ahā¦the Old-Man-Potter ploy.
A tried-and-true gimmick.
Always a crowd pleaser.
Anyone we know?
Manafortās case does not include āany allegation that he ā¦ colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election,ā U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis declared during the sentencing hearing.
ābecause I refused to let the prosecutors mention it.ā
No oxygen tank?
Heās giving him credit for the time spent talking to,ahem, spying onā¦Muellerās office. How nice.
Iām not certain, but there are a few people who show up from time to time that sound like the ivans who post regularly on WaPo boards. Frankly, Iād be sad if TPM wasnāt considered important enough to try their influence game at.
Not sure what to expect from this judge. He didnāt like Mueller bringing case. He didnāt think it a crime to live a lavish life style. He rushed the prosecutors. He clearly signaled his disapproval of the prosecution. I donāt trust him.
On the other hand, if heās a stickler for procedure, the jury overwhelmingly convicted Manafort on about half the counts. Just one juror hung them up on the others. And Manafort broke his cooperation agreement. The judge should throw the book at him. Iāll believe it when I see it.
A tacky half-ass job of everything.
Okay, I donāt object to him taking 50 hours off the final sentence, but thatās it!
Or because Mueller kept his powder dry for bigger fish, since he didnāt need it here (and reserved the right to bring more charges down the line just in caseā¦).
[quote=āsquirreltown, post:8, topic:85310ā]
ābecause I refused to let the prosecutors mention it.ā
[/quote]āAnd remember the rule: thou shalt not mention or say the word āoligarch.āā
āNow bring me a shrubbery.ā
Mueller has yet to charge Manafort for his participation in the conspiracy to sway the 2016 election. Even if this judge lets Manafort off with a light sentence, he will not escape serious jail time. Judge Ellis will look even more foolish if he lets Manafort off lightly, only to see him convicted of ācollusionā.
Mueller has not charged any US citizen for conspiring with the Russians, yet. Does Ellis really believe thatās because there was no conspiracy?
This judge is a serious asshole.
Welcome to the joys of lifetime appointment.
Motorized? His wife pushing?