Paul Manafort’s Lawyer Told Trump Team What His Client Said To Mueller: Report
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Paul Manafort’s Lawyer Told Trump Team What His Client Said To Mueller: Report
Nick Visser, HuffPost 9 hours ago 
One of Paul Manafort's lawyers regularly briefed President Donald Trump'sOne of Paul Manafort’s lawyers regularly briefed President Donald Trump ’s legal team about his client’s conversations with federal investigators as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, The New York Times reported on Tuesday .
The Times, citing Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and two other sources familiar with the conversations, said attorney Kevin Downing regularly briefed the president’s legal team about what Manafort had discussed during interviews and what angles of inquiry Mueller was investigating.
The alleged conversations happened after Manafort, a former Trump campaign chairman, reached a plea deal with Mueller’s team and began cooperating with his investigation. The Times notes that the backchannel, which it called “highly unusual,” may have been part of an effort to score a presidential pardon. Manafort faces charges that could land him in prison for at least 10 years.
Downing’s efforts were not illegal, but have helped fray the often fraught relationship between the special counsel’s office and the White House.
Read The New York Times’ full story here .
Mueller filed a complaint against Manafort on Monday, alleging he violated his plea deal after lying to prosecutors during interviews.
The alleged lies were not specified in the complaint but would nullify any promises federal prosecutors made to Manafort during the plea deal established two months ago.
“A breach relieves the government of any obligations it has under the agreement, including its agreement to a reduction in the Sentencing Guidelines for acceptance of responsibility, but leaves intact all the obligations of the defendant as well as his guilty pleas,” the filing reads.
Manafort’s attorneys have denied any wrongdoing on behalf of their client.
The charges against Manafort have been thrust into the spotlight once again this week amid the special counsel’s filing and separate reports that Manafort secretly met with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on multiple occasions. The Guardian on Tuesday said the pair met several times, in 2013, 2015 and around March 2016, although it’s unclear what they spoke about. Trump hired Manafort at the end of March 2016.
Through a representative, Manafort denied the meetings took place .
Separately, The Washington Post on Tuesday reported that conservative author Jerome Corsi told Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to Trump, that WikiLeaks was planning to release damaging information on 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Corsi’s email to Stone was sent in August of that year. The special counsel’s office has been working on a plea negotiation with Corsi , although such talks have reportedly collapsed.
The Post notes that the account demonstrates WikiLeaks may play a central role in any case Mueller is building as part of his probe.
Trump himself has gone on the attack this week, regularly lambasting the Mueller inquiry on Twitter and in interviews.
“The Mueller Witch Hunt is a total disgrace,” he said in a message on Tuesday, calling the probe a “Phony Witch Hunt” in another.
“Mueller and his gang of Angry Dems are only looking at one side, not the other,” the president said. “Wait until it comes out how horribly & viciously they are treating people, ruining lives for them refusing to lie. Mueller is a conflicted prosecutor gone rogue.”
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One liar covering for another. Not unexpected.
In the end it will be a few Big R Republicans who pull the plug on Trumpism...
The Democrats are united in opposition to Trump so it will only take that few.
Let's see... Donald Trump, draft dodger, pathological liar, and lifelong con artist vs. Robert Mueller, war hero, impeccable reputation for integrity, and lifelong boy scout. Hmmm, who to trust? Hmmm...
Is this common practice, sharing answers?
I guess it is if you are looking for a pardon.
That would work, if Manafort didn't have other states looking to prosecute him on other charges, plus, once you accept a pardon your fifth amendment rights to self incrimination end so, Manafort would have to spill everything he knows. My guess is Manafort shot himself in the foot here, he's looking at decades in prison but, there is a bright side to it for him, Putin's buddies can't get to him in prison.
Someone was telling me yesterday that there was a loophole (for lack of a better term) in which the prosecution or Judge could implement a requirement in the judgement regarding pardons. For instance, Manafort could not be pardoned until after he served X amount of time. This could possibly push the timeline beyond Trump's presidency thereby voiding Manafort from getting what he ultimately is seeking.
I have absolutely no idea whether this is true or permissible.
Don't bet on that
I know, I don't think Manafort is the brightest bulb. No matter what Trump does or doesn't do with a pardon, he is doing some serious time. Still has his head up Trump's ass I guess, which is kind of weird. They must have some deep dookie on each other.
I don't either but, I do know that if Trump tries to grant a pardon, it will cause the Democrats in the House to turn and, pay close attention to the reason behind it and, it will give Mueller more ammo against Trump.
At 69? He'll being doing a life sentence on just one count of what he was convicted of and, he has more than 8 counts.
And, long memory's but, Manafort didn't spill anything about them and, since he is going off to prison, his family will be safe.
Only if you are co-defendants in a case, once one of you makes a deal with the prosecution, (in this case Mueller), the agreement ends.
I don't hear anyone talking about Manafort sharing being illegal. And generally the media would be all over this type of messaging.
That is the debate going on, on MSNBC today, is it illegal. It may not be for Manafort himself but, his attorney's and, Trumps attorneys could be charged with obstruction of justice now.
I don't hear anyone talking about Manafort sharing being illegal
It's not.