Buying expensive clothes is a really bad way to launder 10’s of millions of dollars. The resale value of that ostrich coat was pretty low. And he would have to buy the equivalent of 100’s of ostrich coats to launder so much money.
But, I do think that the prosecution bringing these expenditures up serves a purpose beyond showing what an opulent lifestyle Manafort led and getting the jury to not like Manafort (that seems to be the consensus of legal experts I’ve read and heard interviewed).
How can he blame everything on Gates when he is spending money hand over fist, using “unusual” means for spending it? An ignorant/patsy type defense can only work if you look like a patsy. I think the prosecution is building a case that Manafort knew exactly where the money was coming from and exactly where it was going.
Ultimately, the jury will decide M’s guilt or innocence. Whether they feel that M is a good guy or a shit figures into how they will vote. Humans are not able perfectly to separate out our prejudice from our reason. Prosecution and defense both know this and they will both try to prejudice the jury to their own benefit.
Rudy sez Mueller “ain’t got nuthin” regarding trump doing anything illegal…Heh heh heh…
edit
Rudy also said today that obstruction is OK if the president does it. I wonder if he would feel that way if it were Obama that was in Mueller’s gun sights.
Damn! $900,000 buys a lot of pocket squares and watches.
The first time I ever heard of a pocket square was reading American Psycho. I believe the title character thought a lot about pocket squares, as well as what if would feel like to have intercourse with a severed head. If memory serves, it felt (to him – leave me out of this, thanks) pretty much as predicted.
The $21,000 watch is pretty cool too. If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the beer. Do I have the time?! Just look at this watch! Do you know how much I paid for this watch? Probably more than you made all year! Now get my fucking coat or what I will do to your future job prospects will be fucking disgusting!
I can see why Manafort is refusing to yield to Mueller. Life was good for a while. He just may have been sated and really has no additional need for timepieces or for time itself.
Yes. The Judge has been pretty cranky in these proceedings and comes across as a bit of a diva, trying to entertain the jury and impose his personality on the process. That said, the write-ups indicate that the Prosecution’s case found a real rhythm today. They got to the essential fraud and dishonesty in Manafort’s behavior; they got to the lavishness of the purchases in spite of the judge; and they also weakened Manafort’s case against Gates by diminishing Gates as a witness and cleverly asking the other witnesses if they knew Gates (answer: no).
horrible taste in ‘high end’ clothes.
He got paid to off shore accounts, so he couldn’t bring that money stateside and deposit in a US bank? ARe we disingenuous ? I agree spare the jury the awful clothing, but do show the invoices and his contributions towards expenditures.
He really lives in alternative reality if he believes a jury is going to buy this load of horse manure.
Apparently Mueller really wants to talk to trump and has offered to"reduce the number of obstruction questions".
I have just two I would like the answers to:
When you fired Director Comey was your intent at that time to make the investigation into Russian interference in the election go away?
Were you afraid that other crimes such as money laundering would be discovered in the course of the probe because a few days after firing Comey you said to Lavrov and Kislyak that “a great weight had been lifted” from you?
So much bling that the couch in the image has a plastic bag over it which I find rather odd. It’s like the bust in the image is looking at the couch and thinking “No gold thread? How gauche!”.
Except Trump has told them that it all lies and a Witch Hunt! If there’s an extreme Trumpy on that jury, he or she may well believe what Trump is peddling about this case vs. actual evidence.
