Manafort Receives 43 More Months in Prison as NY DA Indicts Him on 16 Charges
Trump cannot pardon Manafort in state cases.
US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Paul Manafort, the former campaign chair for President Donald Trump, to an additional 43 months.
US District Judge T.S. Ellis sentenced Manafort to 47 months. That means Manafort will spend 90 months in prison for a total of 7.5 years, “minus nine months credit for time served.”
Right after sentencing, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., indicted Manafort on 16 charges that Trump cannot pardon him from.
New Indictment
Vance announced the indictment literally minutes after Jackson sentenced Manafort. From The New York Times:
The new state charges against Mr. Manafort are contained in a 16-count indictment that alleges a yearlong scheme in which he falsified business records to obtain millions of dollars in loans, Mr. Vance said in a news release after the federal sentencing.
“No one is beyond the law in New York,” he said, adding that the investigation by the prosecutors in his office had “yielded serious criminal charges for which the defendant has not been held accountable.”
The indictment grew out of an investigation that began in 2017, when the Manhattan prosecutors began examining loans Mr. Manafort received from two banks.
Last week, a grand jury hearing evidence in the case voted to charge Mr. Manafort with residential mortgage fraud, conspiracy, falsifying business records and other charges. A lawyer for Mr. Manafort could not immediately be reached for comment.
People have feared that Trump will pardon Manafort. He cannot pardon Manafort if he is found guilty of these charges.
New York prosecutors’ i… by on Scribd
DC Sentencing
So here’s the breakdown:
Paul Manafort’s full sentence is seven and a half years between the two courts. It appears he will get credit for time served and for good behavior, which will likely shorten that sentence.
Here’s how it breaks down:
- In Virginia, he was sentenced to 47 months.
- In DC, he was sentenced to 73 months.
- The first 30 months will be served concurrently. He then will have 17 months from Virginia and an additional 43 months from DC sentencing to serve consecutively.
Back in September, “Manafort pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy, but violated his cooperation agreement with special counsel Robert Mueller by lying to investigators.”
Jackson warned Manafort at the beginning of the hearing “that his repeated lies to federal investigators – after he promised to cooperate with them – would be relevant to how much time he should serve in prison.”
She reminded the court that the hearing “will not incriminate anyone” in Mueller’s continuing investigation into supposed collusion between Russia and Trump.
From Axios:
Unlike the Virginia trial, Manafort’s D.C. case — which resulted in more than 500 court filings and a final sentencing memo that totaled more than 800 pages — revealed several key insights about Mueller’s investigation into the Trump’s campaign ties to Russia.
- Specifically, prosecutors called attention to Manafort’s lies about his contacts with suspected Russian intelligence operative Konstantin Kilimnik — a topic Mueller’s team said at a hearing goes “very much to the heart of what the special counsel’s office is investigating.”
- A poorly redacted court filing by Manafort’s lawyers revealed that he lied about sharing 2016 internal campaign polling data with Kilimnik, and about their discussions about a secret Ukrainian peace plan. Manafort’s longtime deputy Rick Gates, who is cooperating with Mueller and has a status hearing on Friday, reportedly provided information about these episodes to investigators.
Manafort tried to appeal to Jackson for leniency:
“I want to say to you now, I am sorry for what I have done and for all of the activities that have gotten us here today,” Manafort told Judge Amy Berman Jackson, according to reports.
He said he has a “new self-awareness” after spending nine months in solitary confinement for witness tampering.
“Let me be very clear. I accept responsibility for the actions that led me to be here today, and I want to apologize for all I contributed to the impacts on people and institutions. While I cannot change the past, I can work to change the future,” Manafort said.
Jackson did not have any of it. She told Manafort that him apologizing because “I got caught is not an inspiring plea for leniency.” USA Today has more:
“It is hard to overstate the number of lies and the amount of fraud and the extraordinary amount of money involved,” Jackson said. And she blasted him for concealing his activities from the government and for lying to federal investigators after promising to cooperate with them.
“If people don’t have the facts, democracy can’t work,” she said.
Jackson also lashed out at the fact that Manafort’s lawyers mentioned that his conviction had nothing to do with Russian collusion. She described this as “simply a non-sequitur” and that Manafort’s “insistence” that none of this should “have happened to him ‘is just one more thing that’s inconsistent with the notion of any genuine acceptance of responsibility.'”
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Comments
Not that I believe Manafort is innocent but this was blatant selective prosecution for political reasons. If Trump doesn’t pardon Manafort, it will signal that selective criminalization based on political affiliations is the new order of the day.
We already know all of the treasonous Clinton crimes that make this case pale in comparison. Today, it was reported on Breitbart that Page Lisa testified to Congress that Obama himself ordered the DOJ not to prosecute Hillary over the famous leaked e-mail crimes. That is outright obstruction of justice. How could Trump not issue a pardon while presenting a long list of worse crimes committed by the Clinton and Obama crime families? Those were not tax crimes nor process crimes but actual the highest of crimes in the highest places.
With numerous witch hunts and trials by press over several trimesters and in progress, there is probable cause to be skeptical of motives, means, methods, and selectivity (i.e. pro-choice).
Update:
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/03/13/former-nypd-commissioner-calls-for-obstruction-investigation-into-clinton-email-probe/
Looks like the outcry from Lisa Page’s congressional testimony is beginning. “Lock her up!!!” is back in play.
How long before Obama himself and Loretta Lynch are charged for colluding to obstruct justice? And that tarmac meeting with BJ himself may get him charged too.
“How long before Obama himself and Loretta Lynch are charged for colluding to obstruct justice?”
You will, I’m sure, pardon me if I don’t hold my breath, or even conduct the remainder of my life, waiting for that to happen. These people are “too big to jail”. Such charges are for we “little people”. Not that I wouldn’t be joyously ecstatic if it were to occur, but I won’t get my hopes up.
It would be nice if we had a special prosecutor with the grinding dedication of Mueller to investigate hildabeast as they’ve investigated Trump and the others.
I would really enjoy watching perp walks by the left.
What is happening to Paul Manafort should frighten every American. He was thrown into solitary confinement for the same ‘crimes’ Tony Podesta committed (failing to file a FARA form) yet Tony Podesta was allowed to retroactively file a FARA form for his work in Ukraine then he was given immunity.
How is the US any different from a banana republic with a two-tiered justice system?
That is just not true. Please stop making things up.
Are you retarded?
It can be inferred through a chain of command and related actions, but, no, I don’t think there is testimony to Obama’s direct involvement.
In order to make that a provable assertion the impossible would have to happen–release Mueller-like dogs to go after Lynch, Comey, and the rest of the corrupt DoJ crew and force them to roll over on Obama.
But so what? It is far too late to impeach and try to convict Obama in the Senate (a complete waste of time as well). For political purposes I believe that this very likely was the case and will vote according to that belief. Otherwise I would be satisfied with the legal and financial ruination of the upper echelon of the Obama DoJ and FBI.
Usual response is that it is old news and as Hillary (Lady Macbeth) said… “what difference does it make”.
Gee, no kidding? Then send most every American alleged journalist to jail for 7.5 years.
In retrospect, Manafort and the unindicted of similar actions, should have predicted the coup in Kiev, and the resurgence of a “cold war” ethos, that would alter the legal landscape.
Wasn’t it John Podesta or his brother, that was working with Manafort in the Ukraine? and who registered as a foreign agent AFTER Manafort was drug into all of this.
Why isn’t PODESTA being summarily railroaded and killed by solitary confinement?
Pres. Trump, where is the justice?
Tony Podesta was allowed to retroactively file a FARA form for his work in Ukraine then he was given immunity. He is a Clinton friend…so he has nothing to worry about.
She told Manafort that him apologizing because “I got caught is not an inspiring plea for leniency.”
This would be true of pretty much any apology in court.
So why do courts waste time & effort on Apology Theater?
HOW THE HELL IS HILLARY CLINTON STILL WALKING AROUND FREE??
Jackson is avoiding the issue. No one can argue that this prosecution (persecution?) would have happened if Hillary had won the election.
Manafort is a sleazy guy who did violate numerous laws for decades – long before Trump came along – so I have little sympathy for him.
But considering then-FBI director Bob Mueller gave Manafort a pass on much of that criminality years ago, and that Hillary has faced zero consequenced for her gross criminality, it’s more than obvious that Manafort’s biggest crime was orbiting Trump world. Period.
Since the Southern New York office has been openly hostile to Trump&Co., in collusion with the Democrats we should go after them for RICO and Malicious Prosecution. They want Lawfare, we can give them Lawfare if the GOP had any stones…. Oh. right…..
How the hell is Hillary Clinton still walking around free?
Jackson is increasingly being seen a “Democrat Judge” and a tool of Mueller. Not a good thing.
There were a lot of vile things said about Judge Ellis. I somehow expect I will not see the same vile charges levied against Judge Jackson. In fact, I expect everyone to ignore her ruling, chase the convenient shiny bauble, and pretend like flaming hypocrisy simply does not exist.
They have that right. That’s politics. But the law, at this point, is just politics, and therefore warfare, by other means.
This piling on by the Socialist-Democrats (i.e. NY prosecution “just in case” Manafort is pardoned) is simply despicable. JBourque is correct, this is politics by lawfare.
“Trump cannot pardon Manafort in state cases.”
If I understood Rush correctly and a caller who explained this, Manafort had already pled guilty to these charges months ago even though he hadn’t been officially charged. According to the caller, his attorneys advised him to plead guilty to everything they throw at him so that he cannot be charged again later so this amounts to double jeopardy.
It will be interesting to see what happens if this is true. If so, Trump’s pardon would be stick. Who knows.
I’m no lawyer but wouldn’t this be double jeopardy on Manafort? Did New York state change this law to accommodate this blatant over the top persecution of Manafort? If so the hate is strong in NY. It really is quite sickening to watch this two tier justice system play out.
Poor SOB.
It’s just too bad they didn’t get boehner and mcconnell in the dragnet.
If GOPe hack Manafort is so dirty, can you imagine the other two?
So, moving right along, and since this site is fairly well hip-deep in lawyers…
-Which convictions are likely to be overturned on appeal?
-Which convictions are set in concrete?
-Didn’t he plead guilty to at least one charge which was not a criminal offense, and is it possible for his lawyers to get that just tossed out at the appeal level? (or am I thinking of Page??)
Honestly, nothing to do with Manafort stirs any emotion in me, but knowing that democrats sat back in silence as Obama pardoned Bradley Manning, and even made excuses for it, maybe they should sit this one out instead of complaining about the prospect of Trump pardoning Manafort for his federal charges.
To date, Cohen and Manafort have been sentenced to ZERO time for russian collusion.
True, all his crimes are related to financial transactions with banks. What is conspicuous by its absence is any dollar amount anyone one suffered as a result of these financial transactions. Who was hurt and how much were the damages?? Why was it not handled in civil court?? Could it be that no one was hurt, that the loans were paid back with interest???