U.S. rests its case against former Trump aide Manafort

[endicom]

Reuters
Reuters Staff
Aug. 13, 2018

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Monday rested their case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort after 10 days of testimony detailing how he avoided taxes on at least $16 million of income and lied to banks to maintain an extravagant lifestyle once his work for pro-Kremlin politicians in Ukraine dried up.

More... https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort-prosecution/u-s-rests-its-case-against-former-trump-aide-manafort-idUSKBN1KY27M

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3 Missing Men At The Manafort Trial


It appears prosecutors from special counsel Robert Mueller’s office have decided not to call three seemingly key figures.

Huffington Post
Luppe B. Luppen
Aug. 13, 2018

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — As the trial of President Trump’s former campaign chairman resumes today, it appears prosecutors from special counsel Robert Mueller’s office have decided not to call three seemingly key figures. The absence of these witnesses offers intriguing hints about potential ongoing investigations and additional prosecutions that could yet take place.

It became clear these witnesses would not appear when Greg D. Andres, Mueller’s lead prosecutor at Paul Manafort’s trial for alleged financial fraud, confirmed to Judge T.S. Ellis III before court let out last week that the prosecution has only one or two more witnesses to present to the jury. The prosecutors’ final witnesses will be James Brennan, an officer of the Federal Savings Bank, and potentially Paula Liss, a senior special agent at the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

More... https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/3-missing-men-at-the-manafort-trial_us_5b71d2f8e4b0ae32af9a8b6b

[Right_in_Virginia]

Mueller Team Rests in Manafort Fraud Trial
Courthouse News Service, Aug 13, 2018, BRANDI BUCHMAN

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (CN) – Prosecutors wrapped up their case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on Monday afternoon, as the judge agreed to instruct jurors they cannot find Manafort guilty for omissions made by his company because the indictment only names him individually.

That information can be used as evidence, however, to determine Manafort’s intent or “willfulness” to omit information about the entities on his personal tax returns, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III told attorneys after jurors were dismissed from the courtroom.

Judge Ellis will now consider defense attorneys’ motion for acquittal following his decision to allow additional testimony  from Paula Liss, a special agent with the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

Liss testified last week but was questioned again Monday about whether Manafort’s companies reported foreign bank accounts on their tax records from 2011 to 2014.

Following a rapid line of questioning from prosecutor Greg Andres, Liss told jurors the companies had not.

On that note, Andres rested the prosecution’s case.

During a procedural sidebar, defense attorneys argued that the overarching charges brought by Mueller’s team against Manafort were invalid because they lacked “materiality” and failed to show “necessary willfulness.”

Ellis sealed the courtroom before discussing the defense’s motion to acquit, but noted that what was discussed in secret Monday will eventually be revealed.

“When the case is over, the seal will be lifted,” Judge Ellis said.

Defense attorney Kevin Downing requested until Tuesday morning to write the motion for acquittal. Ellis granted the request.

The motion hinges on details that another defense attorney, Thomas Zehnle, said would likely come up during closing arguments.

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The trial will resume Tuesday with the defense’s case.


More:  https://www.courthousenews.com/muellers-team-rests-in-manafort-fraud-trial/