This trial is making me very nervous. I hope they get a conviction.
Westling characterized the Party of Regions’ efforts that Manafort worked on as an effort to open Ukraine up to Western alliances.
Uh huh. I see. Right.
Westling asked Devine about Manafort deputy Richard Gates, specifically whether it was part of Gates’ job to manage Manafort’s business operations in the U.S. while he was abroad, as well as to handle the business side of things in general. Devine replied that he believed those tasks were part of Gates’ role.
I’m curious how that was not objected to for lack of foundation and as calling for speculation/hearsay unless there was a prior question as to whether Devine knew, and how he knew the answer. Devine saying he “believed” that was part of Gates’ role suggests that he doesn’t have any basis for answering.
We’re seeing why Manafort decided to embark on this bizarre strategy of going to trial: revenge. He’s trying to screw Gates for betraying him. It’s a terrible defense on the part of Manafort. The gov’t has 40 witnesses who will demonstrate that Manafort knew what he was doing and was running things. The gov’t has documentary evidence to prove that he filed those false tax filings, loan apps, opened those bank accounts, made those transfer orders. This should be a quick trial and conviction.
He asked Devine whether he thought highly of Manafort, to which Devine replied that he did.
If you set aside the politics of this for the moment and the notion that a rogue Trumper juror could mess things up, this should be a fairly easy trial and conviction. Prosecution has something like 40 witnesses and thousands of docs. The docs and the witnesses will all point to Manafort as the master and director of his own actions. There is no denial from Manafort that the violations of law happened. He’s trying to plead ignorance and blame Gates for everything. That’s an extremely weak defense.
By “Western”, he meant “Western Russian” alliances, you see.
Relax. This is one of many trials to come
Manafort also faces charges in DC.
Reading thereport from The Washington Post, prosecutors asked Devine if he thought Manafort was in charge. He answered in the affirmative. The Defense is blaming Gates for everything.
Would be a good opportunity for the Prosecution to get into evidence that Yanukovych fled to…“Russia”.
And that right there is one of the things that smashes Manafort’s argument to pieces. He can’t effectively argue that Gates made him buy that Ostrich coat, or filed those false loan/bank docs. He also will have a very hard time convincing a jury that he wasn’t in charge when everyone testifying says that he was in charge. Even if the jury believed that Gates was working in tandem with Manafort (true) that wouldn’t lessen Manafort’s guilt one bit.
I said earlier today that I really think this is the defense they are all going to use - it’s co-conspirators pointing at each other all the way down.
It’s all any of them have.
When Tad Devine says that Manafort was in charge, and others will too, tough to see how Manafort convinces a jury he wasn’t in charge. When you consider how much money Manafort made, it’s unlikely that people will see him as anything other than the boss. Also, it’s Manafort’s name on all those loan apps, bank docs, and tax filings. How you put that all on Gates doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Yep, that was exactly my reaction, too. I would have (metaphorically) jumped out of my chair to make the objection. If that failed, I would have gone back at it on cross.
Muller may not be working for HYDRA, but Trump will believe he is by the time this all is over.
I’m just going to say it. I never thought highly of Devine. Not that my opinion will make a difference in the trial.
Whose name was on the storage locker besides Manafort? Who didn’t change the name on the storage locker once that employee no longer worked for Manafort?
Do we know whose name(s) is on the Cyprus bank account, yet?
One of these entities I believe was named “Jesand” a hybrid of the names of his two daughters: Jessica and Andrea. Gonna be tough to convince a jury that Manafort wasn’t in charge of that one. That’s just a snippet. I’d have to re-read the exhibits and indictments, but the evidence that Manafort controlled everything is not easily disputable.