THE NEXT THREE AND A HALF WEEKS BEFORE THE INFORMAL DEADLINE
ROLLS AROUND ON LABOR DAY.
THAT THAT, THESE THINGS CAN TAKE
UNEXPECTED TURNS.
UNEXPECTED TURNS. WE HAD THOUGHT BASED ON
PROSECUTORS’ CLAIMS IN COURT
THAT THE PAUL MANAFORT CASE
WASN’T GOING TO BE AT ALL ABOUT
PRESIDENT TRUMP OR THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN AND CERTAINLY NOT ABOUT
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. BUT TODAY IN OPEN COURT, IN THE
PAUL MANAFORT CASE, BOY HOWDY
DID THE TRIAL TO GO ALL OF THOSE
PLACES TODAY.
PLACES TODAY. IN FACT, THE MANAFORT TRIAL WENT
A LITTLE BIT, IT WENT A LITTLE
NUTS TODAY.
NUTS TODAY. IT IS NOT LIKE IT WENT NUTS IN
THAT IT WENT INSANE.
IT JUST VEERED OFF IN A LOT OF
DIRECTIONS AT ONCE.
PAUL MANAFORT’S ATTORNEY AT ONE
POINT ELICITED FROM RICK GATES
THAT AT SOME POINT A DECADE AGO
PLRGS GATES HAD HAD A SECRET
EXTRA-MARITAL AFFAIR ON WHICH HE
SPENT SOME OF THE MONEY THAT HE
EITHER EARNED ALONGSIDE PAUL
MANAFORT OR EMBEZZLED FROM PAUL
MANAFORT, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU
COUNT THE CASH.
RICK GATES TODAY ALSO TESTIFIED
TO A LOT OF NITTY GRITTY DETAILS
ABOUT HOW HE HELP PAUL MANAFORT
LIE ABOUT HIS INCOME.
BOTH TO EVADE TAXES AND TO
OBTAIN FRAUDULENT LOANS FROM
BANKS.
BANKS. BUT DESPITE PROSECUTORS HAVING
EARLIER ASSERTED THAT THE
MANAFORT CASE WASN’T GOING TO BE
ABOUT RUSSIA AND WAS NOT GOING
TO BE ABOUT TRUMP AND WASN’T
GOING TO BE ABOUT THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN, THE MANAFORT TRIAL DID
VEER TOWARD THOSE PLACES TODAY
UNEXPECTEDLY.
UNEXPECTEDLY. THE SWERVE TOWARD RUSSIA TOOK
PLACE WHILE PROSECUTORS WERE
CONDUCTING THEIR EXAMINATION OF
RICK GATES.
RICK GATES. SO RICK GATES IS THEIR OWN
WITNESS.
WITNESS. THEY’RE DOING A DIRECT EXAM OF
RICK GATES.
RICK GATES. IN THAT DIRECT EXAMINATION,
PROSECUTORS WALKED HIM THROUGH
SOMETHING WE PREVIOUSLY HAD NOT
KNOWN ABOUT PAUL MANAFORT’S WORK
IN THE SOVIET UNION.
THIS IS FROM THE TRANSCRIPT.
YOU TESTIFIED EARLIER ABOUT
PAYMENTS FROM UKRAINIAN
BUSINESSMEN TO MR. MANAFORT.
DID THAT INCLUDE PAYMENTS FOR
POLICY WORK?
POLICY WORK? IT DID.
IT DID. WHAT TIME OF POLICY WORK DID HE
DO IN THE UKRAINE?
AN, WHEN VICTOR WAS ELECTED
PRESIDENT, MANAFORT ENTERED INTO
A POLICY CONTRACT.
WE DESCRIBE IT AS POLICY
ADVISORY IN THE SENSE OF ONCE HE
WAS ELECTED, HE WAS ELECTED ON A
PLATFORM OF ISSUES SO MANAFORT
WORKED THE LOCAL OFFICIALS THERE
TO HELP IMPLEMENT THE POLICY
INITIATIVES BASED ON THOSE
CAMPAIGN PROMISES.
CAMPAIGN PROMISES. QUESTION FROM THE PROSECUTOR
WAFFLE THERE AN AGREEMENT FOR A
TWO-YEAR POLICY CONTRACT?
OR PAYMENT OVER A TWO-YEAR
PERIOD OF TIME?
WELL, IT WAS, IT STARTED OUT
POTENTIALLY ONCE THE PRESIDENT
WAS ELECTED, IT WAS ON AN ANNUAL
BASIS.
BASIS. THE BELIEF WAS IT WOULD BE FOR
THE DURATION OF THE TENURE.
IN TERMS OF TWO YEARS, WHAT WERE
THE MATERIAL OF THE PAYMENTS?
WHAT WERE CONTINUE STALLMENT
PAYMENTS?
PAYMENTS? ANSWER.
ANSWER. THE TOTAL WAS $4 MILLION A YEAR.
AND I THINK ONE YEAR IT WAS
ACTUALLY CHANGED FROM A
DENOMINATION POINT OF VIEW TO 4
MILLION EUROS PER YEAR.
THAT’S NEW.
THAT’S NEW. AND THE REASON THAT IS A SWERVE
TOWARD RUSSIA TODAY IN THIS CASE
IS THAT WHAT WE PREVIOUSLY KNEW
ABOUT MANAFORT WAS THAT HE WAS
BEING PAID BY YANUKOVYCH.
WE DIDN’T KNOW THAT PAUL
MANAFORT WAS ALSO BEING PAID $4
MILLION AIER OR $4 MILLION EUROS
A YEAR ONCE YANUKOVYCH WAS IN
OFFICE TO MANAGE HIS POLICIES AS
THE LEADER OF UKRAINE.
THE REASON THAT’S A SWERVE
TOWARD RUSSIA, ONCE YANUKOVYCH
WAS ELECTED, IT TURNED TOWARD
PUTIN.
PUTIN. THE REASON YANUKOVYCH WAS PULLED
OUT OF OFFICE IN AN UPRISING,
ONCE HE WAS IN OFFICE, HE TURNED
HARD LINE AWAY FROM THE E.U. AND
TOWARD MOSS CUE.
APPARENTLY WHILE, WE JUST
LEARNED TODAY PAUL MANAFORT WAS
BEING PAID $4 MILLION A YEAR TO
ADVISE HIM ON HOW HE SHOULD
GOVERN.
GOVERN. IN THE BOOK RUSSIAN ROULETTE,
THEY INTERVIEWED THE CAREER
STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL WHO
WAS THE SENIOR OFFICIAL.
HE ASKED HER ABOUT WHAT HER
REACTION WAS WHEN SHE LEARNED
THAT PAUL MANAFORT HAD BEEN
NAMED TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN
IN 2016.
IN 2016. SHE SAID HER ANSWER WAS THIS.
MANAFORT?
MANAFORT? MANAFORT?
MANAFORT? SHE THOUGHT, QUOTE, HE’S BEEN A
RUSSIAN STOOGE FOR 15 YEARS.
TODAY WE LEARNED THAT MANAFORT
WAS NOT JUST GETTING PRO RUSSIA
POLITICIANS ELECTED OVERSEAS.
HE WAS GETTING PAID MILLIONS A
YEAR TO MANAGE THE POLICY
POSITIONS OF AT LEAST ONE
OVERSEAS POLICY POSITION WHILE
HE CHANGED THE DIRECTION OF HIS
COUNTRY TO ALIGN IT
SOUTHWESTERLY PUTIN AND RUSSIA.
SO THAT WAS A SURPRISE
REVELATION.
REVELATION. WHY DID TRUMP PICK HIM?
AND THEN THIS ONE LAST THING.
AGAIN, PROSECUTORS HAVE GONE OUT
OF THEIR WAY TO SAY THAT THE
MANAFORT TRIAL WOULD NOT BE
ABOUT TRUMP OR THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. THAT’S WHERE IT WENT TODAY.
IF YOU’VE BEEN PAYING CLOSE
ATTENTION TO THE MANAFORT TRIAL
AS IT HAS BEEN UNFOLDING, YOU
MIGHT HAVE SEEN THIS UNFOLDING
FOR A WHILE.
WE’VE BEEN REPORTING ON THE
DISPARITY PIECES OF IT AS WE’VE
BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO PAUL
MANAFORT.
MANAFORT. TODAY ALL OF THOSE PIECES
FINALLY FIT TOGETHER IN COURT.
THE FIRST PIECE WE SAW WAS WHEN
WE LEARNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
ON THE DAY THAT PAUL MANAFORT
QUIT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
AUGUST 2016, UNDER A CLOUD OF
REVELATIONS ABOUT HIS WORK IN
THE SOVIET UNION, HE QUITS THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
TRUMP CAMPAIGN. THAT SAME DAY, PAUL MANAFORT
ALSO FOUND TIME ONSET UP A
COMPANY, AN LLC CALLED
SUMMERBREEZE.
SUMMERBREEZE. THAT WAS WEIRD, RIGHT?
YOU WOULD THINK HE WOULD HAVE
OTHER PRIORITIES THE DAY HE WAS
QUITTING RUNNING THE REPUBLICAN
NOMINEE’S CAMPAIGN FOR
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. BUT HE FOUND TIME THAT DAY TO
SET UP SUMMERBREEZE.
THEN WE LEARNED THAT
SUMMERBREEZE RECEIVED MULTIPLE
LOANS, TOTALLING SOMETHING LIKE
$16 MILLION OVER JUST A FEW
MONTHS AFTER HE LEFT THE
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. AND HE GOT THAT IN MULTIPLE
LOANS FROM A TINY LITTLE BANK IN
CHICAGO.
CHICAGO. THOSE $16 MILLION WORTH OF LOANS
TO PAUL MANAFORT’S SUMMERBREEZE
WERE KIND OF A STRANGE FORAY FOR
THAT LITTLE BANK.
IT REPRESENTED A LARGE PORTION
OF THE LOANABLE ASSETS.
IT WAS SET UP.
YOU COULD TELL THEY WOULD FIT
TOGETHER BUT WE COULDN’T TELL
HOW.
HOW. THEN IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR THE
"WALL STREET JOURNAL" GAVE US
ANOTHER PIECE.
ANOTHER PIECE. THEY WERE FIRST TO REPORT ON A
STRANGE DETAIL INVOLVING THE CEO
OF THAT BANK THAT HAD GIVEN THE
SUMMER BREEZE COMPANY THE $16
MILLION IN LOPEZ.
THE JOURNAL REPORTED THE CEO WAS
LYING TO BECOME TRUMP’S ARMY
SECRETARY.
SECRETARY. HUH?
HUH? THAT WAS A WEIRD DETAIL THAT
MADE NO SENSE FOR MONTHS.
THEN THIS YEAR IN FEBRUARY WE
GOT MORE, ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE
LAUGH OUT LOUD GEET THAT WEIRD
FACT.
FACT. QUOTE, AROUND THE TIME THE BANK
MADE THE LOANS IF LATE 2016 AND
EARLY 2017, STEVEN CALK WAS
SEEKING TO BECOME MR. TRUMP’S
ARMY SECRETARY.
ARMY SECRETARY. HE WAS PLACING CALL TO ARMY
HEADQUARTERS ASKING FOR
BRIEFINGS TO PREPARE HIMSELF FOR
A POSSIBLE JOB.
HIS OVERTURES TO THE ARMY RAISED
QUESTIONS AMONG MILITARY LEADERS
AS TO HOW TO RESPOND.
HE’S CALLING THE ARMY SAYING I’M
READY TO BE BRIEFED FOR MY MY
JOB.
JOB. SORRY, YOUR NAME IS WHAT?
THEN THREE DAYS AFTER THAT
REPORTING ABOUT HIM CALLING THE
PENTAGON ABOUT HIS NEW JOB,
LOCAL ABC STATION IN CHICAGO WAS
FIRST TO REPORT THAT THE SKETCHY
LOANS HAD TURNED UP OF ALL
PLACES IN THE ISSUES IN THE
DIVORCE FILINGS OF HIS EX-WIFE.
QUOTE, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN
CHAIRMAN PAUL MANAFORT’S NAME
HAS BEEN DRAGGED INTO A HIGH
DOLLAR DIVORCE CASE.
THE DIVORCE CASE INVOLVED
CHICAGO BANKER STEVEN CALK.
INDEED, WE ON THIS SHOW LATER
OBTAINED THESE COURT DOCUMENTS
FROM THAT DIVORCE CASE.
I THINK THESE HAVE NEVER BEEN
SHOWN ON TV BEFORE.
THESE DOCUMENTS SHOW THAT AS
PART OF THE DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS
INVOLVING THIS BANK’S CEO, HIS
WIFE’S ATTORNEYS SPECIFICALLY
SUBPOENAED, QUOTE, THE ENTIRE
LOAN FILE FOR ANY AND ALL LOANS
MADE TO PAUL MANAFORT OR ANY
THIRD PARTY ON HIS BEHALF.
THE WIFE’S ATTORNEYS UPDATED
SUBPOENA TO DEMAND EVIDENCE
REFERENCING THE SOURCE OF FUNDS
USE TO FUND ANY AND ALL LOANS
MADE TO PAUL MANAFORT, SUMMER
BREEZE LLC OR ANY AGENT OR THIRD
PARTY ON HIS BEHALF.
WHY ARE THEY SHOWING UP IN THE
DIVORCE FILINGS?
DIVORCE FILINGS? NEXT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE CAME
WHEN THE JUDGE UNSEALED NAMES.
TWO OF THE FIVE WITNESSES
GRANTED IMMUNITY IN EXCHANGE FOR
THE TESTIMONY TURNED OUT TO BE
EMPLOYEES OF THE SAME LITTLE
BANK IN SMIK MADE THESE LOANS.
WHY DID THEY NEED IMMUNITY?
SO YOU SEE ALL OF THESE PIECES
OF THE PUZZLE FALLING INTO PLACE
OVER THE PAST, MORE THAN A YEAR
NOW.
NOW. TODAY IN COURT THEY FINALLY ALL
GOT FITTED TOGETHER.
RICK GATES ON THE WITNESS STAND
GETS CONFRONTED WITH EXHIBIT
399.
399. SUBJECT, DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
SERVICE SECRETARY FROM PAUL
MANAFORT TO RICK GATES.
THISTOTAL OF E-MAIL.
QUOTE, RICK, WE NEED TO DISCUSS
STEVE KAUK FOR SECRETARY OF
ARMY.
ARMY. I HEAR THE LIST IS BEING
CONSIDERED THIS WEEKEND.
SIGNED P.
SIGNED P. I MEAN AS CRAZY AS IT HAS SEEMED
FROM THE BEGINNING, A IT’S FAR
FETCH AS THIS ALLEGATION HAS
SEEMED, EVER IT WAS IT WAS
HINTED THAT THERE WAS A
CONNECTION BETWEEN PAUL
MANAFORT’S WEIRD ALLEGATIONS AND
THE EARL, IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED
ON THE DONALD TRUMP FOR
PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN IS THAT THE
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN REALLY DID
SELL THE PROMISE OF A JUDGE
RUNNING THE UNITED STATES ARMY
IN EXCHANGE FOR CASH.
THAT APPARENTLY REALLY HAPPENED.
I WONDER HOW THE ARMY FEELS
ABOUT THAT?
ABOUT THAT? AND THAT LEAVES ME WITH ONE LAST
QUESTION.
QUESTION. WE’LL GET SOME EXPERT LEGAL
ADVICE IN A SECOND.
I MAY BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS
LAST POINT.
LAST POINT. AFTER THE E-MAIL WAS PRODUCED IN
COURT ABOUT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
APPARENTLY SELLING THIS WOULD BE
JOB OFFER TO RUN THE ARMY, THE
DEFENSE COUNSEL FOR PAUL
MANAFORT ASKED RICK GATES IN
OPEN COURT IF ANYONE ELSE FROM
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE HAD
QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT HIS OWN
WORK ON THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
QUESTION, IN TERMS OF YOUR
COOPERATION WITH THE OFFICE OF
SPECIAL COUNSEL AFTER YOU TOOK
YOUR PLEA, DID YOU HAVE OCCASION
TO BE INTERVIEWED BY OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL
COUNSEL ABOUT THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN?
CAMPAIGN? ANSWER BY RICK GATES, YES.
QUESTION, WERE YOU INTERVIEWED
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH YOUR
TIME AT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN?
INTERJECTION FROM THE
PROSECUTOR.
PROSECUTOR. OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR.
THE JUDGE SAYS, ALL RIGHT.
DO YOU NEED TO COME TO THE
BENCH?
BENCH? THE PROSECUTOR SAYS, PLEASE.
THE JUDGE SAYS ALL RIGHT.
YOU MAY DO SO.
AND THEN THIS IS THE RIGHT NEXT
THING IN THE TRANSCRIPT.
PAGES 1399 THROUGH 1425 ARE
FILED UNDER SEAL.
SIX PAGES SEALED AND WE’RE NOT
ALLOWED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED
NEXT.
NEXT. THE JUDGE BRINGS THE LAWYERS TO
DISCUSS IT WITHOUT THE JURY
HEARING.
HEARING. IT DOES NOT END UP IN THE
TRANSCRIPT AND WE DON’T KNOW
WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT HAPPENED. THEN THEY ADJOURN FOR A LONG
RECESS THERE AFTER.
PAUL MANAFORT’S CASE HAS BACK
CASE THAT IS IN PART ABOUT THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
TRUMP CAMPAIGN. NOT JUST BECAUSE HE WAS TRUMP’S
CAMPAIGN CHAIR.
CAMPAIGN CHAIR. PROSECUTORS WENT THERE TODAY BY
ESSENTIALLY OFFERING EVIDENCE IN
COURT THAT TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN
CHAIRMAN WAS OFFERING THE JOB OF
RUNNING THE U.S. ARMY FOR SALE
FOR CASH.
FOR CASH. WHY ARE THEY THEN ALSO OBJECTING
TO ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN DURING THIS
TRIAL?
TRIAL? I HAVE A FEELING TELLS US
SOMETHING IMPORTANT ABOUT WHAT
IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN NEXT BUT
WE SHOULD GET A REALLY GOOD