I can’t figure out a lot of things about Manafort and I suppose that is deliberate on Manafort’s part.
International man of mystery and sordid crime.
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Of course the lawyer is pissed at Manafort, but the lawyer still has to defend his clients actions. I have no problem with him making these statements and filings. He’s dead wrong, yes. But it’s his obligation to defend his client.
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You were probably raised, like me, to believe the absurd timeworn myth that life is a meritocracy. Yes I’m pissed.
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Looks like he might be getting some of those American (Legal) benefits real soon. Do they still say “three hots and a cot?”
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Weeeellllll I don’t think I’m all that meritorious so I kind of feel fortunate for getting away with it all - I put that down to being white and part of the largest generation ever.
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I had a consulting company for ten years (back when the Internet was just escaping from academia) and my primary marketing tool was to do presentations at trade shows and technical conferences. I had to have a large stack of business cards ready at the end of each presentation, because folks would flock up to the podium and demand that I work with them. After all, I must be an expert, I was allowed to make this presentation!
To be fair, I was actually pretty good… 
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Then they are not good consultants. I have a construction business here in NYC and do business with a lot of consultants (engineers, claims, etc.) who are very competent. It’s like any other field, there are good and bad.
That said, if someone just says “I am a consultant”, that’s a bit too general and leads me to believe they are BS artists. It’s best to state what you are a consultant for. Accounting, Architecture, Design, Engineering, Claims, etc. Claims consultants are very useful, they can prepare litigation for a much lower cost than an attorney (and attorneys prefer you use them). That documentation then is given to the attorney to litigate.
Manafort is what is called a money laundering consultant. He just prefers not to phrase it that way…
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Not in the least surprised. You see folks put more thought into buying a microwave.
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A rational and fair reply.
thanks for the education. It is also often a way to get someone’s name on a project.
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Yes. Plus in many instances, a company can’t afford a full time person for a role, so they use a consultant. I know independent estimating consultants who do work for various clients who can’t afford full time estimators. When I get overloaded, I use them on occasion. A lot of times it’s an experienced retired guy who knows his stuff and is just looking to work part time. Perfect fit.
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He doesn’t get it yet, does he? He’s not in charge.
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So… Do you think this is a good argument… that the defendant is entitled to cooperate with a foreign national to produce an exculpatory statement and make it appear to come from some more-or-less disinterested third party?
I’m thinking they’re trying to have it both ways… the defendant I am certain has not had to surrender his first amendment rights, but… trying to exercise them in this fashion looks, ummmm, suspicious, to me.
Further, of course, when a Judge, a Federal Judge, slaps you with a gag order I thought your first amendment rights under those circumstances kinda, sorta, added up to the right to say: “I look forward to demonstrating my innocence in court. I have no further comment at this time.”
Edit: I also think the lawyer’s claim that the proposed article was not intended to, and would not prejudice the jury pool is likely disingenuous, because our MSM would likely pick up the story. It looks like a crafty attempt to get around the court order. Does the Special Counsel’s Team get to file a rebuttal to this?
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“The Special Counsel’s standard would lead to the constitutionally untenable conclusion that a defendant is not even allowed to maintain his or her innocence when such an order is entered because, by doing so, that statement might influence the public’s opinion,” the attorney, Kevin Downing, said in court filings.
Downing said that “nothing” in the op-ed — which was not published in the outlet it was intended for until after it was obtained by TPM earlier this week — “would ‘pose a substantial material likelihood of prejudice to this case,'” quoting from the court’s order barring parties from discussing the case with the media.
This raises the obvious question to me, and I am not a lawyer: Who is it that truly determines what violates a court order? Give me just a little time to think about this…
…
Uh, the judge who approved the court order???
Manafort’s attorney can say whatever the hell he wants to say, but I don’t think he’s helping his client much, unless he’s trying to give his client some aid with a malpractice case against his client’s attorney. While certain aspects of the overall case against the administration is being effectively tried in the Court of Public Opinion and may result in Articles of Impeachment and Trial in the Senate – let me continue to dream pleasantly on that – I don’t think Manafort’s defense against the alleged criminality present in his case is helped by braying like a jackass in public. Furthermore, I strongly suspect that any public or private sharing of information by Manafort with the current administration should be very strictly forbidden…but then again, I’m not a lawyer. I’m just a guy who loathes the idea of Russians fucking with our democracy and jackasses who aid and abet that to their advantage.
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OT-I apologize! But I am dying for thoughts from this group on the video of Trump slurring his words that I saw this morning. To me it was horrifying. Haven’t seen any more about it all day and don’t even know where I saw it. Some news app.
Anyone see it? BIG PROBLEM.
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What is chutzpah?
I’ll take Political Crimes of the 21st Century for $500, Alex.
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I don’t slur my speech when my throat is dry. I’m horrified every time THE WORLD-WIDE ASSHOLE opens his mouth and demonstrates his stupidity while doing his damnedest to destroy my country. Slurring doesn’t increase the horror hardly at all, because I know THE WORLD-WIDE ASSHOLE is already dangerously incompetent and willfully ignorant.
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I say, tell it to the judge Paul, let them decide.
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This maybe the case where he used his smarny arrogance on the first guy who then told two friends, they told two friends and so on and so on, and viola! here we are now.
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Manafort is not interesting enough to be a good bond villain’s sidekick, nor handsome enough to fit man of mystery mold.