Manafort spokesman says investigations 'entirely politically motivated'

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico




By NOLAN D. MCCASKILL 09/21/2017 11:28 AM EDT

President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman believes the investigations into his actions are “entirely politically motivated,” Paul Manafort's spokesman Jason Maloni said Thursday. Maloni referred to a CNN report this week, alleging that U.S. investigators conducted surveillance of Manafort under secret court orders before and after the 2016 presidential election.

The CNN report “is all you need to know about this case. When CNN’s story broke about the revelations of not one but two FISA warrants, that made this crystal clear a political story,” Maloni told NPR’s “1A” on Thursday morning. “Paul’s feeling is this is entirely politically motivated.”

Manafort, through a statement released by Maloni on Wednesday, called for the Justice Department’s inspector general to look into the FISA warrant leaks and find the motivations behind surveillance of his communications. He also urged DOJ to release any transcripts it had of his communications with non-Americans.

“Why it’s coming to light now is for someone to investigate,” Maloni said Thursday. “Paul Manafort earlier in the week begged, said, ‘Please, somebody conduct an investigation.’ First of all, who revealed the fact that one of the most classified and valuable tools at our intelligence community’s disposal, the FISA court, why was this violated, and who’s behind it and why? Those are questions that need to be answered.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/21/paul-manafort-fbi-investigations-spokesman-242974

[shraby]

1. Of course it's politically motivated! We don't want Russia messing in our elections by using

stooges like Manafort, etal.

How can it NOT be politically motivated? That's what Manafort deals in..destabilizing countries for Moscow.

[DBoon]

11. exactly

when your entire adult life is spent in sleazy political manipulation, you will eventually end up investigated for it

[Scarsdale]

14. Yes it is.

We want to be informed abut TRAITORS, no matter which party they belong to. They seem to be mostly (R), for some strange reason. Wait, not "mostly" ALL of them. What an asinine statement.

[Botany]

2. Sorry Pauli Walnuts aka Paul Manafort

The investigation into you, Manafort, started before Trump
announced he was running for POTUS.

[MGKrebs]

3. Even if it were politically motivated it doesn't mean you're not guilty!

If you didn't do anything wrong, just cooperate and testify, and we'll all get to the end of this quickly and easily.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

4. Another whiner.....

Paul Manafort, like his former boss, blames others for his own misdeeds and law breaking. How convenient!

[DBoon]

12. Not taking responsibility for your actions is common with criminals

In fact it is part of the criminal mindset

[dogman]

5. Because the Republicans don't care.

[Justice]

6. Wouldn't surprise me that Trump team leaked the information.

Trump team seems keen on throwing Manafort under the bus.

Statements by Corey and by Trump's lawyers over last day underscore this intent.

[NurseJackie]

7. No! Really? :-D (His spokesman isn't helping.)

... actually, he's coming across as a bit of a JACKASS.

[Hekate]

8. Oh the poor, poor baby. Watch while I tune up the world's tiniest violin...

playing "My Heart Bleeds For You."

[W T F]

9. More specifically, Politically motivated by RUSSIAN politics.

[NCjack]

10. Americans who are doing treason should expect surveillance and investigation.

Now that he has been caught, he wants to start a RW revolt. Good. Let's arrest all of the traitors and lock 'em up.

[VaBchTgerLily]

13. well that's an odd statement because Mueller is a republican

[Mr. Ected]

15. You don't go to jail for purely political reasons

You're going to jail because you repeatedly broke the law, Mr. Manafort.

[emulatorloo]

16. So credible!

[Sunlei]

17. Political yes it was-when Republican party colluded with foreign gov to attack Americas democracy.

and hired big-guns- government slayer-Russian mafia lawyer- to "help" Republican party attack America & steal the election.

[MGKrebs]

19. No kidding. Who made it political?

When he discussed American politics with Russians while he was a campaign manager for a Republican political campaign, I guess it is political!

[DippyDem]

18. CNN fake news

"The CNN report “is all you need to know about this case. When CNN’s story broke about the revelations of not one but two FISA warrants, that made this crystal clear a political story,” Paul Manafort's spokesman Jason Maloni said Thursday.
Fake news no?

[angrychair]

20. I'm confused

How is a FISA warrant "politically motivated"?

This is just another example of republican bullshit: a FISA court is a wonderful thing when it suits your purposes and is used as a weapon in their interest but bad when the rules and standards they set are applied to them and their actions.

This is yet another living example of the simple truth that republicans want not just a plutocracy but a plutocracy that is limited to a very exclusive group.

[lark]

21. Look, look, over there, that's the real problem. Don't look here,

sayeth his attorneys. Forget the crimes he committed or that he did those for pay from Russia. Forget the fact that the FISA court approved 2 instances of wiretapps. So what? Russia is a good WHITE country, what's wrong with spending millions to ensure that Drumpf stole the election?

In case it's not clear -