Manafort ordered to jail, bail revoked on witness tampering charge

[Oceander]

Seems to me it should be a plus in Trump's corner that he dumped him.

Yes, and it would make even more sense to let Mueller wear himself out and justify his teams existence by getting the convictions on this one. Manafort is dirty enough that a successful conviction should justify Muellers efforts even if he never gets anything on Trump.

If a dirty Manafort is the price for ultimately leaving Trump alone, seems like a good deal to me. 

[Cyber Liberty]

If a dirty Manafort is the price for ultimately leaving Trump alone, seems like a good deal to me.

I don't think it will work that way.  If Mueller proves a dirty Manafort, he's not going to leave Trump alone.  The hue and cry about "Where there's smoke there's fire" will go up from the Rats.  He'll redouble his efforts to Get Trump, and the Dems will be glad to fund him any way they can. 

The goal is to keep it alive until 2020, and a Manafort conviction will increase the odds of that, rather than decrease them.

Just more ridiculous supposition on my part.  YMMV.

[edpc]

Giuliani, who is a former federal prosecutor, also questioned the judge's decision to revoke Manafort's bail. "I don't understand the justification for putting him in jail," Giuliani told the Daily News. "You put a guy in jail if he's trying to kill witnesses, not just talking to witnesses."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/as-manafort-goes-to-jail-rudy-giuliani-suggests-trump-could-issue-pardons/


Remember when Giuliani got called out for saying the president can't be subpoenaed with his own 1998 statement saying Clinton would have to comply?  You can bet there are court records of him prosecuting people for witness bribery, tampering, and intimidation while he was US Attorney working organized crime cases.

[Oceander]

I don't think it will work that way.  If Mueller proves a dirty Manafort, he's not going to leave Trump alone.  The hue and cry about "Where there's smoke there's fire" will go up from the Rats.  He'll redouble his efforts to Get Trump, and the Dems will be glad to fund him any way they can. 

The goal is to keep it alive until 2020, and a Manafort conviction will increase the odds of that, rather than decrease them.

Just more ridiculous supposition on my part.  YMMV.

Doubt it.  Nobody has tried tying Manafort to Trump to any great degree. He is sui generis.

[ABX]

Giuliani, who is a former federal prosecutor, also questioned the judge's decision to revoke Manafort's bail. "I don't understand the justification for putting him in jail," Giuliani told the Daily News. "You put a guy in jail if he's trying to kill witnesses, not just talking to witnesses."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/as-manafort-goes-to-jail-rudy-giuliani-suggests-trump-could-issue-pardons/


Remember when Giuliani got called out for saying the president can't be subpoenaed with his own 1998 statement saying Clinton would have to comply?  You can bet there are court records of him prosecuting people for witness bribery, tampering, and intimidation while he was US Attorney working organized crime cases.

Jailing someone for violating bail terms is very common. At that, I think Giuliani himself used this tactic against some of the Gambino financial guys to put pressure on them.

[Cyber Liberty]

Doubt it.  Nobody has tried tying Manafort to Trump to any great degree. He is sui generis.

The Press has...but they're idiots relying upon their audience being fellow idiots.  The Press uses the title "Trump Campaign Advisor" whenever they refer to Manafort.   

(You had me at Bing learning new words!  Thanks!)

[edpc]

Doubt it.  Nobody has tried tying Manafort to Trump to any great degree. He is sui generis.

Besides, the first item in the SC mandate is to investigate any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump.  We already know Manafort had contacts with people associated with Russian intelligence and Putin.  So did Carter Page.  That alone justifies the probe, whether it leads to Trump or not.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3726408-Rosenstein-letter-appointing-Mueller-special.html

[Emjay]

'It seems to me that Manafort is going to be found guilty of laundering $30 million and defrauding the US because he did it.'

If the law were applied evenhandedly across the board who could complain.  But in every case the Deep State walks while Trump supporters have the book plus the kitchen sink thrown at them.

Ain't that the truth!

[Emjay]

'The “everyone else gets away with it” excuse won’t get you out of a parking ticket or a speeding ticket; why on Earth would it get Manafort off for money laundering and tax evasion?'

You've misstated what I said. All I remarked was that the Deep State should be held to the same standards as are Trump supporters.

@Fantasywriter   Welcome!  And welcome to my world.  My posts are constantly misunderstood.  I understood you post perfectly and it is true.

[Emjay]

That's about where I am, Trump excepted.

I think that is a little harsh.  I agree that many politicians put their own power first, the welfare of the people second but I don't think that is true of all of them.

[Emjay]

They are executive branch agencies. The DOJ is run by Jeff Sessions who can order an investigation and prosecution.  He can, with a signature, stop or change most of this (not all but most).

I think Trump believes he is best served if this entire issue stays alive and active. Right from The Art of the Deal: "It doesn't matter what they say about you, as long as they are talking about you"

As long as there is the 'witch hunt' it galvanizes his followers behind him. He has positioned his entire marketing gambit on 'he is the people and the people are him' (my phrase)- so as long as there appears to be a witch hunt against him, his supporters will feel as though it is an attack on them and it will strengthen loyalty. Even if he shot James Comey on 5th Avenue, if they tried to prosecute him for that, it would be used the same way.

Like most politicians in the game, it isn't about resolution- that's the last thing they want. It is about keeping the issue alive.

Interesting take.  But I take issue with the 'appears to be a witch hunt".   There is a witch hunt and I think his supporters enjoy it because it's so over the top, it's funny.  Even the SNL staff have decided it's not funny anymore.

But Trump is a 'different' guy.  He is infuriated by the attacks and he attacks back but I don't think they bother him as they would most people.  He is insulated by his own self-confidence.

[edpc]

So why aren't Hildabeast, Abedin, Wasserman-Schultz, Lerner and Comey in orange jumpsuits having their bail decided for much greater and far more heinous crimes?

I don't give a crap about Manafort supposed "crimes" because obviously some political and treasonous crimes are more equal than others apparently.

Well @INVAR , you have to allow the current chief law enforcement official is either a participant or a leader of the fan dance when he admits a criminal investigation makes for good campaign sound bites, but has no real intentions to follow through.


! No longer available

[Victoria33]

@Fantasywriter  Welcome, whether you have been a member (didn't look at your date) and not posted much, or are a new member:

We have a virtual lounge as well as a lounge thread. @Cyber Liberty runs the virtual lounge.  He is a sorry manager because he lets people lick the sprinkles off the chocolate donuts which are my favorite - that and Bear Claws.  I have a corner walled off by screens, in the lounge, where I write books, next one is "Earthly Life to Eternal Life", Subtitle: "Eternity: No One Dies, Not Even You".  You are welcome to visit my corner and if you have smokes, bring them - along with your Bible, maybe, or not.  Not sure Cyber would let you have a cig in the lounge proper.  Just in case, I use an e-cig in there.

If you want a certain pastry, tell Cyber.  He probably won't get them but at least you tried.  If he does get them, hide them or people like @CatherineofAragon and @Freya  will praise you and at the same time while you are not looking, steal your pastries.  Watch out for @mystery-ak, as she owns the place and insists you pick up your trash when you leave.  You can dump your trash in my place as I have a big storage bin where I dump mine and I never get rid of it - you will notice the aroma in my place due to that.  Or, maybe you will dump the bin for me since I am really old.  You see, I am the oldest person here and some members don't like elderly people.  What they don't know is what I know because I have lived longer.  See how that works?

When you post, please stick to the subject of the thread, like I did with this post (ha) and don't get sucked into a personal word fight.  If that starts, go to the virtual lounge and have a beer or two or three.  Yes, tell Cyber which beer you want him to buy, which he probably won't do.  I love Cyber because he has good humor.

This is a long post because I am on pain meds right now and feel less pain than all day, so wrote this long epistle.

[Fantasywriter]

@Fantasywriter   Welcome!  And welcome to my world.  My posts are constantly misunderstood.  I understood you post perfectly and it is true.

Thanks! That greeting means a lot to me. I'll be on the lookout for your posts which I'm sure I'll enjoy.

[Fantasywriter]

I think that is a little harsh.  I agree that many politicians put their own power first, the welfare of the people second but I don't think that is true of all of them.

No doubt it's harsh. There are some exceptions which I didn't mention. I think Mattis is a pretty good egg. I'm trying very hard to like Jordan and Meadows but they seem a little too complacent where Ryan is concerned.  Gaetz (sp?) seems to have the right priorities as well. As a matter of fact,  next to Trump I'd rate Gaetz; he's done about as much as one Congressman can do. Dave Brat is outstanding.  There may be a couple of others, but not many imo.

[aligncare]

Thanks! That greeting means a lot to me. I'll be on the lookout for your posts which I'm sure I'll enjoy.

@Emjay rocks. She’s a great example of someone who came in originally opposed to Trump’s candidacy, and while remaining critical of him after he won, she was still open to giving the new president a chance. She rocks and she rolls...

[Fantasywriter]

@Fantasywriter  Welcome, whether you have been a member (didn't look at your date) and not posted much, or are a new member:

Thank you for your kind greeting. This is the first I heard of the cyber lounge--very helpful. Your books sound very interesting! I'm sorry to hear about the pain meds. I hope you're on the mend.

[Fantasywriter]

@Emjay rocks. She’s a great example of someone who came in originally opposed to Trump’s candidacy, and while remaining critical of him after he won, she was still open to giving the new president a chance. She rocks and she rolls...

Thanks! Trump has been winning some over, at least conditionally. I hope he doesn't stumble on the immigration compromise.  I heard it eliminates e-verify; that would be a mistake.

[Cyber Liberty]

Thank you for your kind greeting. This is the first I heard of the cyber lounge--very helpful. Your books sound very interesting! I'm sorry to hear about the pain meds. I hope you're on the mend.

Click the pic, takes you right to the lounge.

[Fantasywriter]

Click the pic, takes you right to the lounge.

Thanks for the link! I sure do love that pic of Reagan.  It sets just the right tone.

[Silver Pines]

@Fantasywriter  Welcome, whether you have been a member (didn't look at your date) and not posted much, or are a new member:

We have a virtual lounge as well as a lounge thread. @Cyber Liberty runs the virtual lounge.  He is a sorry manager because he lets people lick the sprinkles off the chocolate donuts which are my favorite - that and Bear Claws.  I have a corner walled off by screens, in the lounge, where I write books, next one is "Earthly Life to Eternal Life", Subtitle: "Eternity: No One Dies, Not Even You".  You are welcome to visit my corner and if you have smokes, bring them - along with your Bible, maybe, or not.  Not sure Cyber would let you have a cig in the lounge proper.  Just in case, I use an e-cig in there.

If you want a certain pastry, tell Cyber.  He probably won't get them but at least you tried.  If he does get them, hide them or people like @CatherineofAragon and @Freya  will praise you and at the same time while you are not looking, steal your pastries.  Watch out for @mystery-ak, as she owns the place and insists you pick up your trash when you leave.  You can dump your trash in my place as I have a big storage bin where I dump mine and I never get rid of it - you will notice the aroma in my place due to that.  Or, maybe you will dump the bin for me since I am really old.  You see, I am the oldest person here and some members don't like elderly people.  What they don't know is what I know because I have lived longer.  See how that works?

When you post, please stick to the subject of the thread, like I did with this post (ha) and don't get sucked into a personal word fight.  If that starts, go to the virtual lounge and have a beer or two or three.  Yes, tell Cyber which beer you want him to buy, which he probably won't do.  I love Cyber because he has good humor.

This is a long post because I am on pain meds right now and feel less pain than all day, so wrote this long epistle.

@Fantasywriter

Hey, there!  Welcome!  I hope you'll hang around.  You can post here without worry of being banned for your opinions.

[Fantasywriter]

@Fantasywriter

Hey, there!  Welcome!  I hope you'll hang around.  You can post here without worry of being banned for your opinions.

That's it in a nutshell.  The constant threat of being banned gets old fast. But take heart. Traffic to the site we are referring to has plummeted.  If you want a real shock, check the Alexa traffic rankings for the site in question.  It is headed for the commode.

[Cyber Liberty]

That's it in a nutshell.  The constant threat of being banned gets old fast. But take heart. Traffic to the site we are referring to has plummeted.  If you want a real shock, check the Alexa traffic rankings for the site in question.  It is headed for the commode.

@Fantasywriter

We have a thread in the Members Only area where we talk about that...and the endless 'Thon.  A lot of the folks here came over with @CatherineofAragon. 

The upside of TBR is you get to say whatever is on your mind (no personal attacks on other Briefers is the only rule).  The downside is you will hear a bunch of stuff you won't like because others can too.  This is no echo chamber, it's a much different kind of swimming hole.

Also, Mods here will talk to you.  So will @mystery-ak, because she's a different kind of owner.

[Fantasywriter]

@Fantasywriter

We have a thread in the Members Only area where we talk about that...and the endless 'Thon.  A lot of the folks here came over with @CatherineofAragon. 

The upside of TBR is you get to say whatever is on your mind (no personal attacks on other Briefers is the only rule).  The downside is you will hear a bunch of stuff you won't like because others can too.  This is no echo chamber, it's a much different kind of swimming hole.

Also, Mods here will talk to you.  So will @mystery-ak, because she's a different kind of owner.

Thanks for the information--I'm very curious about that members only thread! The rest is very helpful too.  I don't mind different POVs at all; it's just a part of life.

[corbe]

    With that last post @Fantasywriter I get the feeling you're gonna fit in real well here.