Manafort defense blasts indictment as based on 'tenuous legal theory'

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Laundering nearly a million dollars through a clothing store is very damning.

Over a half million at a second clothing store.

At $7,500 per suit (a very rich price to begin with, inflated?) that would work out to be about 200 suits. I'm sure he would not be able to show proof of possessing that much clothing and/or shoes.

I expect he used it to pay others for favors and to keep payments to them off books and to help them and himself evade taxes. "Charlie, go over to such-and-such store and fit yourself out for $15,000 on my tab. I'll call them to let them know you are coming."

He may have "returned" some items at the stores to turn it into bankable US cash. That is, pay for the clothing out of the offshore-funded account and get the returned value credited to a credit card or by check.

Smells like laundry.