It’s also important that Manafort’s “cooperation” wouldn’t be limited to answering questions and testimony. It’s access to documents, records, his bank accounts and financial records. Naming names. So even as Manafort lied the other information he was providing may have directly countered the information he was giving.
They’re looking for something they can prove, not just looking for some one to say a particular thing in court.
His “lies” might also not be false statements in interviews. He could have been witholding or trying to hide evidence. Or attempting to hide money or a chunk of his financials. I know one person who has experience with sealed grand juries and financial investigations who guaranteed Manafort was still trying to hide money after he plead. Viewed his reticence to flip as an attempt to keep his money, and pointed out that people like this often have a few accounts, and a bunch of records they think the FBI doesn’t know about. Prosecutors use it to hang them post deal.
Yeah, this is what worries me. It also worries me that both sides refuse to take anything at face value. Mueller’s team announces that Manafort violated the terms of their deal, and everyone in this thread is all checkMATE. I’m not as confident. All the players here are real human beings, playing the hands they’re dealt. The world isn’t a 3 dimensional game of chess, and it’s possible to experience setbacks you didn’t plan for, even when you’re really clever.
Yeah I think the Mueller power move claim is just as much magical thinking as the Trump just ruined the investigation one.
Realistically this is still just Manafort thinking he’s smarter than everyone else. And I think the financial motive increasingly looks like the explanation for Manafort’s behavior. If he was convicted he, and his family lose much of his wealth. So he refused a plea deal. Once he was convicted of financial crimes he needed a deal to keep any of that money. I find it likely he thought he could hide some money despite cooperating. Or use the plea deal to keep the money but avoid actually cooperating. And he got caught.
You don’t need complex plots and prestige TV level twists to explain this. The greedy liar is a greedy liar.
Or there’s a broad-daylight, high-definition video of Manafort walking right into the embassy and Wikileaks is prepared to say he was visiting because of his interest in embassy architecture.
People who have fully entered the post-fact world might as well offer million-dollar bets to those who still dwell on things being “true” or “plausible”.
Remember this day when the Guardian permitted a serial fabricator to totally destroy the paper’s reputation. @WikiLeaks is willing to bet the Guardian a million dollars and its editor’s head that Manafort never met Assange.
Well, then, name this despised “serial fabricator” and collect your bet. Unless, of course, the Grauniad’s other sources turn out not to be serial fabricators as well. From the article:
Manafort’s first visit to the embassy took place a year after Assange sought asylum inside, two sources said.
A separate internal document written by Ecuador’s Senain intelligence agency and seen by the Guardian lists “Paul Manaford [sic]” as one of several well-known guests. It also mentions “Russians”.
This is one of the reasons why the Guardian still has its brand goodwill after more than a century where Wikileaks exhausted its own in a matter of years.
That’s very interesting. There’s a pretty good chance the Equadorans have recordings or other information about what was discussed in those meetings. And while we’re not exactly buddy buddy with Equador atm, Mueller could in theory gain access to those.
Doubtful without the involvement of the state department though.
Remember that there’s a permanent UK police guard on the front door of the embassy, to prevent Assange absconding I imagine. I would also assume that there’s a cctv camera aimed at that door, this is London after all, the city is crawling with them. I would be very surprised if the British didn’t know everyone who went in there, they’d not be doing their jobs.
interesting isn’t it, that right after Trumpy submits his written answers that Mueller pulls the plug on Manafort
it’s almost likst Manafort and Trumpy were coordinating lies through their lawyers (lawyers may be unknowing dupes) thinking they could pull one off on Mueller but Mueller has 3rd party proof of the lies so he stayed silent and let them lie
Trumpy’s is making a noose for himself, or making it tighter
the problem is this is taking too long and the country is suffering, the border is about to have serious problems because of what trumpy is trying to do
No, they’ll just denounce it as fake news - doctored video! Or no, it was a false flag - an actor that the Deep State sent into the embassy to frame Manafort! SAD! Or it doesn’t matter, what were the motives of whoever took the video? Traitors!
In a post-truth world, only loyalty matters, not facts.
