Manafort to help Mueller inquiry in plea deal

[struggle4progress]

... On Friday, he pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy against the US and one charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice ...

The charges in the second trial were set to include money laundering, conspiring to defraud the US, witness tampering and failing to register as a foreign agent. Jury selection had been due to start on Monday ...

... Manafort had top perch in the Trump team for key months in 2016.

For instance, he was in the June Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner and Russian nationals that was originally billed as a chance to obtain damaging information Russia had on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. He took cryptic notes about that meeting that he now might be willing to discuss ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45525325

[struggle4progress]

1. Manafort to plead guilty in deal with Mueller

Dan Mangan
Published 2 Hours Ago
Updated 15 Mins Ago

... The charging document, while accusing him of just two criminal counts, appears to be designed to resolve not only the entire case in Washington, but the prosecution in Alexandria, Virginia, where Manafort was convicted of eight counts last month.

The new document alleges Manafort engaged in a conspiracy involving money laundering, tax fraud, failing to report foreign bank accounts, violating rules requiring registration of foreign agents, lying and witness tampering.

Criminal informations are routinely filed in federal cases when a defendant has agreed to plead guilty. The charging document will replace an indictment that had been pending against Manafort in Washington court, where the 69-year-old defendant is scheduled to appear later Friday morning ...

... Manafort will forfeit his home in the ritzy Hamptons section of .. Long Island, properties in New York City and property on Edgewood Street in Alexandria ... Manafort will forfeit .. four bank accounts and a life insurance policy ...

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/14/ex-trump-campaign-chief-paul-manafort-agrees-to-plead-guilty-in-deal-with-special-counsel-robert-mueller.html

[Girard442]

2. "Might".

Sounds to me like Mueller is, at best, trying a three-cushion bank shot here. Hope he succeeds.

[Atticus]

7. I may be mistaken, but my understanding of the nature of these agreements is

that Manafort WILL discuss whatever Mueller wants discussed. If Mueller says "jump," Manafort says ," how high, sir?" Failure to "fully cooperate" risks more time in prison and giving state AG's the green light to file their non-pardonable charges which he pretty much already confessed to in court today.

[struggle4progress]

3. Manafort reaches plea deal

By Sharon Marris, news reporter

... Manafort appeared in court on Friday and told the judge he wants to plead guilty ahead of his trial on charges relating to Ukrainian political consulting work.

Prosecutor Andrew Weissman said in court that Manafort had struck a "cooperation agreement" but he did not elaborate.

The charges in question do not involve Manafort's work for Donald Trump.

However, the deal could involve Manafort's cooperation with Mr Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia ...

https://news.sky.com/story/ex-trump-campaign-boss-reaches-plea-deal-reports-11497544

[struggle4progress]

4. Manafort agrees to cooperate

Dan Mangan
Published 1 Hour Ago
Updated 4 Mins Ago

... Prosecutors said the deal, which will require Manafort to forfeit an estimated $46 million in assets, includes a 17-page cooperation agreement with Mueller ...

The guilty plea by Manafort, 69, relate to money earned from consulting work on behalf of pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine and predate his tenure as chairman of Trump's presidential campaign ...

No sentencing date was set for Manafort, who faces up to 40 years in prison, but who would likely get much less time behind bars than that. He also faces fines of up to $400,000 when sentenced ...

Manafort has been held without bond in jail since June after being charged with trying to influence witnesses against him. He will remain in jail pending his sentencing ...

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/14/trump-campaign-chief-paul-manafort-pleads-guilty-to-conspiracy-charges.html

[struggle4progress]

5. Former aide pleads guilty

Andrew Buncombe
Washington
12 minutes ago

... It's unclear how the possible deal might affect Manafort's pursuit of a pardon from President Donald Trump. The president has signalled that he's sympathetic to Manafort's cause, and in comments to Politico, his attorney-spokesman Rudy Giuliani said a plea without a cooperation agreement wouldn't foreclose the possibility of a pardon ...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/paul-manafort-plea-latest-live-trump-russia-investigation-guilty-deal-court-today-mueller-a8537736.html

[Le Gaucher]

6. I'll believe it when Trump faces real consequences