Donald Trump’s former campaign chair and consultant-to-dictators, Paul Manafort, has been trying to wriggle out from under Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s multiple indictments. The political consultant has a history of walking on and perhaps through, the knife-sharp edge of the criminal world, especially in foreign countries. Now, his attempts to get out of a life sentence show desperation.
Manafort’s attorneys just went before a federal judge to request dismissal of his criminal charges, especially his Ukrainian political lobbying. Their motions argued that Mueller overstepped his authority, because he prosecuted crimes over a decade old and well before the 2016 election.
Trump’s former campaign chair has pled not guilty and alleged that those indictments were also well outside the field of the special counsel’s authority. Mueller came onto the scene to investigate Russia’s interference into the presidential election, which has already been proven.’
The political consultant will face a total maximum of 305 years in prison should he be guilty of all of just the Virginia charges. Federal Judge T.S. Ellis III of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia wrote this about Manafort’s case, CNN reported:
‘Given the nature of the charges against the defendant and the apparent weight of the evidence against him, defendant faces the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.’
The investigation led Mueller to links between Russia’s war on the U.S. elections and the Trump campaign. He found Manafort right at that crossroad.
Special counsels are well within their rights to follow their investigations wherever they may lead. Ken Star’s probe into President Bill Clinton’s real estate activities took him to the Monica Lewinsky blue dress.
Manafort’s attorneys’ argument was that Mueller should not indict him, because his investigation into Mueller “improperly surpassed his authority,” according to USA Today.
‘The original and superseding indictments do not focus in the slightest on alleged coordination between the Russian government and the Trump campaign during the 2016 election, or even Mr. Manafort’s brief involvement in the campaign.’
The attorneys claim that the indictments related to the political lobbyist’s work in foreign countries should be off-limits, because it ended prior to 2014. Mueller also took into account Manafort’s old bank statements and taxes. They argue that none of this was related to the Russian government nor the Trump campaign.
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Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein oversees Mueller’s investigation. The AG recently made a public statement praising the special counsel’s work. Defense attorneys, who also work for the Justice Department, insist that Mueller is well within his rights in this case.
Manafort also requested that U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson dismiss one of the two charges filed against him. The charges say that Mueller’s accusation that the lobbyist made false statements on his Justice Department’s Foreign Agents Registration Act form.
The defense attorneys claim that those charges violate Manafort’s Fifth Amendment rights, which protect people from double jeopardy, that is, trying a person twice for the same crime.
Mueller charged the consultant with tax evasion and bank fraud and indicted him in Virginia. Manafort had the choice of combining the two federal cases against him, but he refused.
According to USA Today:
‘Motions to dismiss are commonly filed in criminal cases but very rarely granted.’
To read the full lawsuit, click on this link.
Featured Image via Getty Images/Alex Wong.
