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Manafort’s Destiny
Robert Mueller III, aka Bobby Three Sticks, authorized a pre-dawn raid on Pauly “foreign bucks” Manafort only July 26. Reading Manafort’s history, he seems like a typical DC parasite, gobbling dollars from whoever he can and delivering results. Lord knows what his banking records will end up showing but I bet there will be some malfeasance. He’s a slimy man, in a slimy town, run by slimy people who pretend their way to riches and power.
The origin of this raid is likely based on the FBI not believing him. Why should they? He’s a lawyer, lobbyist, political consultant, and DC fixer. Nobody in those jobs in DC has an ounce of ethics. They all rationalize away the existence of Hell, probably God as well.
The goal of this raid was to find dirt. The goal of the dirt is to get Manafort in enough legal trouble that he turns on anyone else he has info on or anyone he can make up info on. Solid strategy and one that was never used in the IRS scandals, not because the GOP was unable, but because they were unwilling. They’re unwilling because they are all corrupt as well in their own ways and the last admin spied on everyone.
So what is Manafort’s destiny? Any guesses? I’d tell him to “go west young man” but Alcatraz is closed and Horace Greeley must be a hetero-normative white male oppressor of social justice.
I bet they find unrelated wrongdoing and tell him it’s decades in prison or turn on a Trump kid or in-law. I’m guessing he will count on a presidential pardon for his loyalty rather than be a rat or even worse — be a rat over something untrue.
Published in General
Like the title.
“Pre-dawn” — was it really? Yes, I just checked.
I wonder: did they wear jackboots?
Pre-dawn? Is there such a thing? Don’t the Cretins know that life begins after coffee at 9:00 AM. Good Grief!
As for Manafort, he’s toast. Unless Trump does his pardon thing. Interesting thought: What if Trump pardoned each person that was being investigated in this fiasco? One at a time as their names were made public. None of them would have any reason to testify. Case over?
“Show me the man and I’ll find you the crime.” — Lavrentiy Beria
Half the country knows this all to well. It will be interesting, the response from this half when the Kangaroo investigation trots out it’s political criminals. The next election will be very interesting.
Good guess. I’d rather do that than count on a pardon.
Andrew McCarthy on NRO today said that they either did the raid because they actually have something on Manafort, or they’re wielding brass knuckles (his own words).
Special prosecutors are never a good idea.
Why should anyone believe the FBI, I wonder? It’s been a long time since the days of Effrem Zimbalist Jr.
I don’t believe or trust or have any faith in the FBI. James Comey saw to wasting whatever was left of trust after J Edgar’s spaghetti straps.
Yah but if they really are after you can you really out run their assassins? If movies have taught me anything is that the CIA has a near inexhaustible supply of hit men able to assume non-assuming identities. In fact if the Deep State is so much after you why would they not just assassinate you and replace you with one of their vat grown mind controlled clones? You have no idea how deep the Deep State conspiracy goes. It is even bigger than the Mason Vampire Zionist Illuminati conspiracy and that one basically runs the world. The Deep State they run the Nega World which is the real world that exists on the opposite side of your eye lids. You can only see it when you blink.
I’m not mad! I’ve seen them with my own two ears.
Richard Jewel just called in to say, “Yeah, I know.”
Well, I’m sure your sharks in the moat sporting laser-bearing headgear have altered the equation.
You’re relocating to Belize?
A pardon would not itself relieve anyone of his or her responsibility to testify. It might change the leverage that the Special Counsel has over potential witnesses, but failure to give testimony to a grand jury is still punishable as civil contempt. In fact, often prosecutors have to grant immunity to witnesses in order to compel their testimony before a grand jury.
Plus, I expect at some point, issuing a high number of pardons would begin to reflect poorly on the President. But then again, nothing else he has done seems to discourage his supporters. So what do I know?
That looks like a frat initiation ritual.
Who can believe anything our institutions say and do anymore? We are in a sick place. Can someone please, indict/convict Hillary for her crimes so I feel there is some balance in this corrupt country?
What I’ve learned from Clinton/Obama is that people can do whatever they want to legally and get away with it if they come from the protected class. I doubt teflon Don will have as much leeway.
Yes pardons for true crimes would reflect very poorly to all but the president’s serious supporters. Pardons for a witch hunt ‘find a crime’ for the man might be dismissed easily, at least by me.
I’d advise him to get a criminal lawyer because he’s probably going to be spending some quality time in the crossbar hotel with his new buddy, Cletus.
She could kill a man on 5th ave and be just fine. OK, maybe fake suicide former bag men and secretaries not in broad daylight.
He seems more like the type to eat his own young rather than starve on tossed salad.
That is so sick in so many ways. Kudos, Doc.
Hey, why come no one care about Paulie?
So, just a follow up question on that. What if–and this is entirely speculative and hypothetical–Mueller discovered strong evidence that Manafort himself was receiving undisclosed payments from Russian sources? Nothing about the campaign as a whole or the President mind you, just that Manafort was in the back pocket of Russian oligarchs or their fellow travelers while working as the manager of Trump’s campaign. Would that fall into the “witch hunt” category or the “true crime” category, in your view?
If it’s a crime it’s a crime. Tax evasion about some old Ukraine garbage or business issue pre campaign is witch hunt. I am positive a guy like him isn’t clean.
Using his position in the campaign to get personal bribes from anyone, foreign powers being worse, seems like it ought to be punished. Severely.
I’m not going to cry over Manafort. He’s the reason I didn’t vote for Trump. I’ve followed Manafort passively for a few years when he was advising Victor Yanukovich, president of Ukraine. There’s nearly no possibility that he remained innocent of the rabid corruption going on there. They’ll find something and it being true is highly likely. (proving it is another matter. They’re quite clever over there) Be careful on this one. Don’t jump on his side just because he’s kinda sorta on “our team.”
I’ll play.
The only thing illegal about that is “undisclosed.” I’m pretty sure (check with the FEC) seniors in a campaign have to fill out financial disclosure forms. If the FEC does require it, and he didn’t disclose it, then POTUS can tell Mueller “Thank you, that wasn’t collusion, but that was inappropriate. You were stalwart, steadfast and honest in your investigation. The matter is over, the investigation is closed, and the American people owe you their lasting gratitude.”
I doubt hardly anyone here is on his team. Zero tears for the man from me.
Manafort will be sacrificed as a pawn. Mueller, whose appointment was engineered by his slithering BFF Comey and whose resultant conflict of interest requires his recusal (oops, I forgot that is only for Republicans no matter how clear the applicable statute), is now fully staffed up with Hillary contributors. Armed with a grand jury, he can compel Manafort’s testimony after granting immunity from prosecution. Failure to testify constitutes criminal contempt.
Soon to be on display will be the full force of a “reasonable prosecutor.” This whole farce is not subtle. It is designed to undo the election. Unremarkable, according to the MSM, will be the astounding and stark contrast with the “prosecutorial discretion” as to Hillary’s serial felonies. She, for the record, fully intended to and accomplished a fraud upon the government by defying the Freedom of Information Act, which required her to retain all written records for review and use by the US Government (check the penalties for deleting business or official emails – even before there is a hint of an investigation, much less after one is underway!). The entire Comey charade that the “matter” was about carelessness with “classified documents” was an intentional misdirection (aided and abetted, of course, by the MSM) which successfully shielded her by distracting most everyone from the actual felonies she committed – i.e., hiding her entire written record as Secretary of State. Trump, by way of comparison, will be formally accused of something or other (they are still making that up) far less serious and almost surely requiring torture of language and law. “Trumped-up” will take on a new level of meaning or be reworked to “Trumped-out,”” Trumped-aside,” Trumped-away,” “Trumped-off,” or “Trumped-overboard.” You get the picture.
Banana republics at least have the decency to conduct actual revolutions from time to time, instead of surreptitious coups d’état, claiming to be mere operation of law. “Rule of Law, “Consent of the Governed,” “Of the people, by the people and for the people…” have descended to become risible propaganda worthy of Goebbels. In case you missed it – America is over. Among other things, that means no one can survive a modern federal investigation if the prosecutor wants to get you for political reasons. Remember Soviet “show trials?” Ours are far more protracted, refined, procedure-laden, and smooth; but no less deadly.
I can’t “like” your comment, but I can’t argue against it either.
If you’re right then America is over and adherence to laws and rules is only for the suckers.