When will the twitter machine light up? No later than 5 am tomorrow is my bet. Paul must be on Dolt 45’s shit list now. Wait a minute, wasn’t Paul only a volunteer? For a very short time.
They’ve either given Spankee sedatives or put him in a straitjacket. He’s gonna be a human Krakatoa as soon as he gets his hands on his phone…
That’s so funny- I was about to write they’ve loaded him up and hog-tied him when I saw you already wrote the same thing!
So he’s guilty of the charges from last month’s trial, and he can’t appeal the verdict. He’s now admitted guilt to the additional charges that had a hung jury in last month’s trial. But the second trial still is coming up? He didn’t admit guilt or innocence in that trial?
Judge Cranky grumbles, belches, says “We’ll see.”
Dear Judge Ellis:
Mr. Manafort plead guilty today in the other federal case, in front of the other federal judge. His plea includes guilty pleas to the 10 outstanding counts in your case, the one where you tried really hard to get him acquitted. But he is pleading guilty to those counts in D,C. Mr. Manafort will be sentenced by the other Judge, the one in D.C., not by you. You will no longer be presiding over this case and will have nothing to do with or say about either case. And, as distasteful as you said you find this, we just could not refrain from making you aware that yes, Mr. Manafort will be cooperating. We trust you are keeping indoors and staying dry.
Yours truly,
He totally caved. Amazing.
There’s genius in the way that Mueller and his team have operated.
On the other hand, it reminds one that it’s really really really bad to become the target of a Federal Investigation.
Mueller may have gotten only two felonies in the plea here, but he got another 10 in the VA case. That’s a really sweet concession.
I’m not sure what the sentencing implications are, but it should be very difficult for a pardon to happen. It would mean ignoring a guilty plea to 12 counts and guilty jury verdicts to another 8, with no intervening conduct or circumstance to explain why those should not stand. (trump campaign activity notwithstanding). That’s not to say Trump still wouldn’t try it, but the agreement to cooperate puts Manafort in Cohen’s class as a flipper, so that may mean all bets are off.
On the other hand, I keep trying to look at this stuff rationally, and that’s a futile pursuit these days.
Lotta great minds here at TPM…
If you are ever suffering from severe insomnia, I invite you to read the Federal Sentencing Guidelines section on Grouping the guideline calculations on several counts of conviction.
Are you at least peripherally familiar with the federal sentencing guidelines? If so, can you explain what’s going on with the sentencing numbers in Manafort’s plea deal? At the beginning it states that the two counts he’s pleading guilty to carry a max 5 year sentence each. Later on in the sentencing guidelines section it says this case carries a sentence of 210-265 months (17.5-22 years). Which prevails?
I am familiar. But I have not consulted that section recently enough. I would urge you to wait till @ncsteve gives the definitive destilation of the answer you seek. He is around here today.
I am so amazed at how Mueller has prosecuted this case! He has been steadfast and unmovable in getting the information he wants.
It’s also telling that Manafort chose to trust Mueller over Trump’s potential pardon. AWESOME!
This is truly a remarkable day in America!
Thank you Special Counsel Robert Mueller and Team!
Finished VA trial: Jury says guilty on 8 counts; PM now pleads guilty on remaining counts and agrees not to appeal jury verdict
Upcoming DC plead: PM pleads on 2 counts and the remaining counts in abeyance until he finished cooperation or is sentenced…
Wow. So now Manafort has been convicted or plead guilty on EVERY charge Mueller or the DoJ brought?
Definitely a sleep aid. I also suggest you try California’s sentencing and enhancement laws enhancements. The statutes can induce either 1) sleep or 2) insanity - So tread carefully.
Exactly my reaction, in law school, to Corporations. I had a choice between piercing the corporate veil or poking out my own eyes with an ice pick.
Yep. Especially if you’ve done the kind of things Manafort did. Manafort had a long, long way to fall.
Curious why a guy with a known past like that, would get hired to run a presidential campaign. Very curious.