SITUATION AGAIN. FIVE DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO THE
STORM ALREADY.
STORM ALREADY. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE MORE ON THE
STORM COMING UP IN A FEW
MINUTES.
MINUTES. WE’RE ALSO GOING TO BE TALKING
IN JUST A FEW MINUTES WITH A
REPORTER WHO BROKE THIS NEWS
TODAY AT "VANITY FAIR."
ON A DAY THAT WAS ALREADY A
POTENTIAL DISASTER FOR THE
SITTING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES IN TERMS OF HIS OWN
EXPOSURE AND LIABILITY IN THE
RUSSIA SCANDAL AND THE
INVESTIGATION BY THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL’S OFFICE LED BY ROBERT
MUELLER, ON A DAY THAT WAS
ALREADY A DISASTER FOR THE
PRESIDENT, EMILY JANE FOX OF
"VANITY FAIR" ADDED SIGNIFICANT
FUEL TO THE FIRE WITH HER
EXCLUSIVE REPORTING TONIGHT THAT
LONG-TIME TRUMP ORGANIZATION
EXECUTIVE, LONG-TIME PERSONAL
LAWYER TO THE PRESIDENT MICHAEL
COHEN HAS NOT JUST PLEAD GUILTY
TO EIGHT FELONY COUNTS, HE HAS
NOT JUST NAMED THE PRESIDENT IN
COURT UNDER OATH AS THE PERSON
WHO DIRECTED HIM TO COMMIT TWO
OF THOSE FELONIES, CAMPAIGN
FINANCE VIOLATIONS, EMILY JANE
FOX REPORTS TONIGHT THAT MICHAEL
COHEN IN ADDITION HAS BEGUN
MEETING WITH THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL’S OFFICE HIMSELF.
WHEN MICHAEL COHEN PLEAD GUILTY
TO THOSE EIGHT FELONIES LAST
MONTH, THERE WAS NO FORMAL
COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH
PROSECUTORS THAT WAS FILED ALONG
WITH HIS PLEA, BUT THIS NEW
REPORTING IF CORRECT, IT
INDICATES THAT COHEN IS
COOPERATING.
COOPERATING. HE IS TALKING WITH A SPECIAL
COUNSEL.
COUNSEL. WE’RE GOING TO BE SPEAKING WITH
EMILY JANE FOX ABOUT THAT NEWS
IN JUST A MOMENT.
BUT OF COURSE, THAT NEWS COMES
AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. WE HAVE BEEN REPORTING FOR THE
LAST COUPLE OF DAYS THAT THERE
WERE SIGNS, RIGHT?
AND THERE WERE ANONYMOUSLY
SOURCED REPORTS THAT THE
PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN
WAS HIMSELF STARTING TO TALK TO
PROSECUTORS ABOUT PLEADING
GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT RATHER
THAN FACING ANOTHER EXTENDED
FEDERAL TRIAL.
FEDERAL TRIAL. HE WAS JUST CONVICTED ON EIGHT
FELONIES LAST MONTH IN VIRGINIA.
HE WAS FACING ANOTHER TRIAL ON
MORE FELONY COUNTS STARTING NEXT
WEEK IN FEDERAL COURT IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. AND, YOU KNOW, WHILE THE
PRESIDENT CHOOSING THIS NOW
MULTIPLY CONVICTED FELON AS HIS
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN IS ITSELF A
PRETTY BIG SCANDAL AS U.S.
PRESIDENTS GO, AND WHILE THERE
IS CERTAINLY PUBLIC INTEREST IN
THE LEGAL FATE OF TELEPHONE
PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN,
HOW MANY FELONIES IS HE GOING TO
GO DOWN FOR?
HOW LONG IS HE GOING TO SPEND IN
PRISON?
PRISON? WHAT ARE HIS PROSPECTS FOR
APPEAL, FOR RETRIAL, ALL THE
REST OF IT.
WELL, THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST
IN ALL OF THAT STUFF.
CLEARLY EVEN LARGER STAKE HERE
IN TERMS OF THE COUNTRY AND THE
PRESIDENCY IS NOT JUST PAUL
MANAFORT’S OWN FATE AND THE FACT
THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP CHOSE HIM
AS HIS CAMPAIGN CHAIR.
THE LARGER STAKE HERE IS THE
PROSPECT THAT THE PRESIDENT’S
OWN FATE, THE PRESIDENT’S OWN
LIABILITY MIGHT BE SIGNIFICANTLY
JEOPARDIZED BY WHAT’S GOING ON
WITH MANAFORT, THAT MANAFORT, IN
AN EFFORT TO TRY TO LESSEN HIS
OWN JEOPARDY, HIS OWN PRISON
TIME MIGHT DECIDE TO COOPERATE
WITH THE SPECIAL COUNSEL’S
OFFICE IN HER ONGOING
INVESTIGATION OF RUSSIAN
INTERFERENCE IN PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION AND ANY ROLE BY THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS CAMPAIGN.
THAT’S THE BIG KAHUNA, RIGHT?
IT HAS ALWAYS SEEMED VERY
IMPROBABLE.
IMPROBABLE. CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN FOR SITTING
PRESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY TO
MULTIPLE FELONIES?
MULTIPLE FELONIES? HUGE DEAL.
HUGE DEAL. CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN FOR SITTING
PRESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY TO
MULTIPLE FELONIES AND ALSO
AGREES TO COOPERATE WITH
PROSECUTORS INVESTIGATING THE
PRESIDENT HIMSELF?
PRESIDENT HIMSELF? THAT HAS SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE.
THAT HAS SEEMED AT LEAST VERY,
VERY IMPROBABLE.
VERY IMPROBABLE. NOW THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED, AND
THAT IS BIGGER THAN A HUGE DEAL.
I MEAN, LOTS OF REPORTING
RECENTLY HAS WONDERED IF A
COOPERATION DEAL MIGHT HAPPEN.
MOST OBSERVERS HAVE THOUGHT
THERE WAS NO WAY, NO HOW THAT
MANAFORT WOULD EVER DO THIS.
IF THERE WAS ONE THING PAUL
MANAFORT IS NOT GOING TO DO, HE
IS NOT GOING TO COOPERATE.
HE WOULD HAVE DONE SO BY NOW IF
HE WAS GOING TO DO SO.
WELL, HE IS COOPERATING FULLY,
NO HOLDS BARRED.
I ALMOST PERSONALLY CAN’T
BELIEVE IT NOW, EVEN THOUGH I’VE
GOT IT IN WRITING.
WE JUST GOT THE TRANSCRIPT.
SO I KNOW THAT IT HAPPENED, AND
NOW I CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW
IT HAPPENED WORD FOR WORD.
YOU READY?
YOU READY? OKAY.
OKAY. COURTROOM DEPUTY, YOUR HONOR,
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. THIS MORNING WE HAVE CASE NUMBER
17-201-1, THE UNITED STATES
VERDICT PAUL MANAFORT.
WILL PARTIES PLEASE APPROACH THE
LECTERN, IDENTIFY YOURSELVES FOR
WORD.
WORD. >> GOOD MORNING, YOUR HONOR.
MR. WEISSMANN FOR THE GOVERNMENT
AND WITH ME IS GREG ANDRES, KYLE
FREEZING RAIN ANY, JANIE RHEE
AND OMER MEISEL AND JEFF WYLAND
FROM THE FBI.
THE JUDGE, ALL RIGHT, GOOD
MORNING.
MORNING. AND GOOD MORNING, YOUR HONOR,
RICHARD WESTING WILL, THOMAS
ZEHNLE AND KEVIN DOWNING ON
BEHALF OF MR. MANAFORT.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. I UNDERSTAND THE DEFENDANT
WISHES TO ENTER A PLEA OF
GUILTY.
GUILTY. THAT CORRECT?
THAT CORRECT? THAT’S CORRECT, YOUR HONOR.
ALL RIGHT, BEFORE WE PROCEED ANY
FURTHER, HE CAN JOIN YOU AT THE
LECTERN.
LECTERN. A AND THE COURTROOM DEPUTY SAYS
ARE YOU PAUL J. MANAFORT JR.?
ED
ED ED.
ED. >> SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE VERY
START.
START. THIS STARTS WITH THE GOOD
MORNINGS, RIGHT?
MORNINGS, RIGHT? AT THIS VERY EARLY POINT IN THE
PROCEEDING, EVERYBODY THERE IN
THE COURTROOM KNOWS AT LEAST ONE
IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT’S GOING
TO HAPPEN, RIGHT?
THE JUDGE HAS SAID RIGHT OFF THE
BAT HE IS HERE TO PLEAD GUILTY,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? YES, YES, YOUR HONOR.
AND THEN THE REASON THERE IS A
SUPERSEDING INFORMATION, WHICH
IS WHAT THE COURTROOM DEPUTY
JUST ASKED THERE TO PAUL
MANAFORT, SUPERSEDING
MANAFORT, SUPERSEDING INFORMATION, I KNOW IT’S A WEIRD
PHRASE.
PHRASE. BUT WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THE
INDICTMENT, LAYING OUT THE
CHARGES THAT MANAFORT WAS TO BE
GO ON TRIAL FOR NEXT WEEK, THAT
INDICTMENT HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED
WITH A SUPERSEDING DOCUMENT, A
SUPERSEDING INFORMATION, A
CRIMINAL INFORMATION INSTEAD OF
AN INDICTMENT.
AN INDICTMENT. NOW AND THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
PROSECUTORS ARE BRINGING CHARGES
AGAINST YOU, BUT YOU’RE NOT
FIGHTING THOSE CHARGES.
YOU’RE NOT GOING TO TRIAL OVER
THEM.
THEM. YOU’RE GOING TO PLEAD GUILTY.
SO AT THIS POINT EVERYBODY IN
THE COURTROOM KNOWS HE’S GOING
TO PLEAD GUILTY.
IT’S STILL A CLIFF-HANGER AT
THIS POINT, THOUGH.
SO THE JUDGE SAYS, SO TO GET TO
THE QUESTIONS THAT I NEED TO ASK
YOU IN TERMS OF YOUR
UNDERSTANDINGS THIS MORNING’S
PROCEEDING, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW
OLD YOU ARE?
THE DEFENDANT, 69.
>> AND WHAT IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL
OF EDUCATION YOU OBTAINED?
>> JURIS DOCTORATE.
>> SO OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN READ AND
WRITE?
WRITE? PAUL MANAFORT, THE DEFENDANT.
I’M SORRY?
I’M SORRY?M SORRY?
>> SO THEY GO THROUGH THIS PRELIMINARY STUFF.
PRELIMINARY STUFF. YOU’RE OKAY.
YOU’RE OKAY. YOU’RE OF SOUND MIND, YOU ARE
WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE.
THE JUDGE THEN ASKS THE
PROSECUTOR FROM ROBERT MUELLER’S
OFFICE, THE LEAD PROSECUTOR,
ANDREW WEISSMANN TO SUMMARIZE
THE LIST OF THINGS TO WHICH PAUL
MANAFORT IS GOING TO PLEAD
GUILTY TODAY TO DESCRIBE HIS
CRIMES.
CRIMES. THE JUDGE SAYS --
>> HE GOES ON FOR 18 STRAIGHT PAGES WITHOUT INTERRUPTION.
I’M NOT GOING THE READ YOU ALL
18 PAGES.
18 PAGES. WE’LL SAVE THAT FOR THE SPECIAL.
BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW HE GOES ON
AND ON AND ON AND ON, TO THE
POINT WHERE THE JUDGE IS
BASICALLY LIKE, OKAY, WOW,
THAT’S A LOT.
FROM PAGE 16, WEISMANSMANN SAYS
ME START WITH THE FIRST ONE
WHICH IS THE FOREIGN
REGISTRATION ACT, CONSPIRACY.
FROM PAGE 27, LET ME SPEAK
BRIEFLY ABOUT THE CONSPIRACY TO
OBSTRUCT JUSTICE, THE FALSE AND
MISLEADING STATEMENTS TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
PAGE 29.
PAGE 29. LET ME TURN TO THE MONEY
LAUNDERING CONSPIRACY.
LAUNDERING CONSPIRACY. PAGE 30.
PAGE 30. PAGE 32, TURNING TO THE WITNESS
TAMPERING CONSPIRACY.
TAMPERING CONSPIRACY. IT JUST GOES ON AND ON AND ON.
FINALLY, THE PROSECUTOR STOPS
TALKING.
TALKING. AFTER GOING ON FOR 18 STRAIGHT
PAGES, TELLING THE JUDGE AT THE
END OF HIS REMARKS, BASICALLY,
HE SAYS YEAH, THERE IS MORE IN
THE STATEMENT OF THE OFFENSE
HERE.
HERE. I COULD GO ON.
BUT IT’S ALL THERE IN WRITING.
AT WHICH POINT THE JUDGE EXHALES
AND SAYS ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. TURNING TO THE DEFENSE, THE
JUDGE SAYS, MR. WESTLING AND MR.
MANAFORT, QUOTE, I BELIEVE IT’S
FAIR TO SAY THAT THAT’S PROBABLY
THE LONGEST AND MOST DETAILED
SUMMARY THAT HAS EVER PRECEDED
THIS QUESTION, BUT IS WHAT THE
PROSECUTOR JUST SAID A TRUE AND
ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT YOU
DID IN THIS CASE?
THE DEFENDANT, PAUL MANAFORT, I
DID.
DID. IT IS.
IT IS. THE JUDGE -- DID YOU PARTICIPATE
AND COORDINATE IN LOBBYING
EFFORTS IN THE UNITED STATES ON
BEHALF OF THE UKRAINIAN
GOVERNMENT AND UKRAINIAN
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND/OR
POLITICAL PARTIES?
POLITICAL PARTIES? PAUL MANAFORT: I DID.
>> SO AFTER 18 PAGES OF LAYING IT OUT BY THE PROSECUTOR, THE
JUDGE SUMS IT UP AND PAUL
MANAFORT ADMITS TO THE COURT,
ADMITS TO THE JUDGE I DID, I DID
THESE THINGS.
THESE THINGS. AND NOW HE HAS TO ADMIT WHAT HE
IS GOING TO GIVE UP, BECAUSE HE
IS PLEADING GUILTY.
THE JUDGE SAYS, QUOTE, YOU’RE
AGREEING TO PLEAD GUILTY TO TWO
COUNTS OF CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IF I
ACCEPT YOUR GUILTY PLEA IN THIS
CASE, YOU COULD RECEIVE A
MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF UP TO FIVE
YEARS IN PRISON ON EACH COUNT?
PAUL MANAFORT: I DO.
>> HE’S FORFEITING ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BANK ACCOUNTS, INSURANCE
POLICIES, LOTS AND LOTS OF REAL
ESTATE TO THE GOVERNMENT.
THE GOVERNMENT ALLEGES THAT HE
DEFRAUDED THE GOVERNMENT OF $15
MILLION, MONEY THAT HE DIDN’T
PAY TAXES ON.
PART OF MAKING THAT UP CLEARLY
IS HANDING OVER HIS ILL-GOTTEN
GAINS AND THE THINGS HE
COMMITTED CRIMES IN ORDER TO
OBTAIN AS REAL ESTATE.
BUT THAT LAST QUESTION THERE
FROM THE JUDGE, "REAL PROPERTY
AT BAXTER STREET IN NEW YORK"
AND ALSO "REAL PROPERTY AT FIFTH
AVENUE IN NEW YORK", THAT’S THE
LAST ONE SHE ASKS, AT THAT POINT
IT’S ACTUALLY THE REFERENCE TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. BECAUSE THE FIFTH AVENUE
PROPERTY THAT PAUL MANAFORT
AGREED IN COURT TODAY TO FORFEIT
TO THE GOVERNMENT, THAT IS PAUL
MANAFORT’S APARTMENT AT TRUMP
TOWER ON FIFTH AVENUE.
YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THAT PAUL
MANAFORT USED THE FACT THAT HE
HAD AN APARTMENT AT TRUMP TOWER
AS A SELLING POINT IN WHICH HE
PITCHED HIMSELF FOR THE CAMPAIGN
CHAIRMAN JOB.
CHAIRMAN JOB. WELL, NOW THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
OWNS PAUL MANAFORT’S OLD
APARTMENT IN TRUMP TOWER.
WHICH HAS TO BE A LITTLE
UNSETTLING FOR THE PRESIDENT I
WOULD IMAGINE.
WOULD IMAGINE. BUT THEN THIS VERY NEXT PART OF
THE HEARING IS THE PART THAT IS
PROBABLY WHAT THE PRESIDENT
DIDN’T EXPECT AND DEFINITELY
WHAT THE PRESIDENT DIDN’T WANT
TO HEAR.
TO HEAR. THIS IS REALLY THE BOOM IN
TODAY’S NEWS.
TODAY’S NEWS. THE JUDGE --
>> SO THAT’S THE BOOM HERE. THAT IS THE UNEXPECTED NEWS
TODAY.
TODAY. I MEAN, HIM PLEADING GUILTY,
WHICH HE DOES A SHORT WHILE
FLATTER THE TRANSCRIPT, THE
JUDGE SAYS ARE YOU PREPARED TO
TELL ME NOW WHETHER YOU WISH TO
PLEAD GUILTY OR YOU WISH TO GO
TO TRIAL.
TO TRIAL. HE SAYS I AM.
HE PLEADS GUILTY.
WE KNEW THAT FROM THE MOMENT
PROCEEDINGS OPENED THIS MORNING
WHEN THE JUDGE FLAT-OUT SAID
YOU’RE HERE TO PLEAD GUILTY,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? WE KNEW HE WAS GOING PLEAD
GUILTY FROM THE MOMENT HE WALKED
IN THE DOOR.
WE DID NOT KNOW HE WOULD AGREE
TO COOPERATE.
TO COOPERATE. NOW BASED ON THE PLEA AGREEMENT,
BASED ON THE BACK AND FORTH WITH
THE JUDGE TODAY FROM WHICH WE
JUST GOT THIS TRANSCRIPT, IT
APPEARS THAT PAUL MANAFORT’S
COOPERATION AGREEMENT IS THE
FULL MONTY.
FULL MONTY. HE AGREES TO BE FULLY DEBRIEF
AND ATTEND ALL MEETINGS AT WHICH
HIS PRESENCE IS REQUESTED.
HE AGREES TO GIVE ALL MATERIAL
RELEVANT TO THE INVESTIGATION.
HE AGREES TO PARTICIPATE IN
UNDERCOVER ACTIVITIES.
UNDERCOVER ACTIVITIES. NOT SURE HOW THAT’S GOING TO
WORK.
WORK. HI, MY NAME IS MALL PANAFORT.
COULD YOU SPEAK INTO MY LAPEL,
PLEASE?
PLEASE? NO, I DON’T KNOW WHY I SEEM
FAMILIAR TO YOU.
YOU CAN TRUST ME, SOON.
PAUL MANAFORT IS NOT GOING
UNDERCOVER ANY TIME SOON WITH OR
WITHOUT THE HAIR DYE.
HE ALSO AGREES TO TESTIFY AT ANY
PROCEEDING, WHICH MEANS BOTH
TRIAL OR AT GRAND JURIES.
AND THIS ONE’S INTERESTING TO
ME.
ME. HE AGREES TO BE INTERVIEWED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS AND/OR
GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS, AND HE
WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO HAVE COUNSEL
DURING THESE INTERVIEWS UNLESS
HE SUBMITS THE REQUEST IN
WRITING BEFOREHAND.
WRITING BEFOREHAND. SO THE JUDGE SINGLED THIS PART
OUT TO ASK HIM ABOUT.
YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T HAVE YOUR
LAWYER THERE’S WHEN YOU’RE
TALKING TO THE INVESTIGATORS
HERE, RIGHT?
HERE, RIGHT? PAUL MANAFORT AS PART OF THIS
AGREEMENT WILL HAVE TO TALK TO
INVESTIGATORS AND PROSECUTORS
ABOUT ANYTHING HE WANTS WITHOUT
HIS OWN LAWYERS PRESENT, UNLESS
HE GETS WRITTEN PERMISSION IN
ADVANCE TO HAVE THEM THERE.
I AM INTRIGUED BY THAT.
I’M ALSO INTRIGUED BY THIS
CONFIRMATION FROM THE JUDGE
TODAY THAT AFTER THIS GUILTY
PLEA AND THIS COOPERATION
AGREEMENT, PAUL MANAFORT WAS
SENT BACK TO JAIL TODAY, AND HE
WILL STAY IN JAIL UNTIL HE IS
SENTENCED.
SENTENCED. AND PRESUMABLY, HE WILL NOT BE
SENTENCED UNTIL HIS COOPERATION
IS OVER TO THE SATISFACTION OF
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT’S
GOING HAPPEN TO PAUL MANAFORT
FROM HERE ON OUT, HE’S GOING TO
GO FROM COURT TODAY BACK TO JAIL
TODAY, POTENTIALLY TO STAY THERE
FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
I MEAN, COULD THAT BE YEARS
WHILE HE CONTINUES TO COOPERATE
WITH THE SPECIAL COUNSEL?
AND THEN AFTER THE END OF HIS
COOPERATION, THEN HE WILL BE
SENTENCED FOR EIGHT FELONIES IN
VIRGINIA AND THESE TWO MORE IN
D.C., UP TO A MAXIMUM OF TEN
YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON, AND
THEREAFTER THE JUDGE SPELLS OUT
THAT HIS COOPERATION
RESPONSIBILITIES WITH THE
GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE, EVEN
AFTER HE IS SENTENCED.
DID I MENTION THAT THIS IS THE
PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE?
SO HERE’S A FEW THINGS TO KNOW.
PROSECUTORS SAY THAT PAUL
MANAFORT GAVE HIS FIRST PROFFER,
HIS FIRST OFFER OF INFORMATION,
SO HIS FIRST COOPERATION ON
TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK.
SO HE’S BEEN COOPERATING ALREADY
FOR FOUR DAYS.
PROSECUTORS SPELLED OUT THAT ONE
OF THE THINGS HE PLEAD GUILTY TO
TODAY WAS A FOREIGN-FUNDED
ILLEGAL AND SOMEWHAT BIZARRE
EFFORT A FEW YEARS AGO TO SMEAR
AN OBAMA CABINET OFFICIAL AS AN
ANTI-SEMITE FOR NOT SUPPORTING
PAUL MANAFORT’S CLIENT IN
UKRAINE, VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH.
THAT WAS SPELLED OUT IN DETAIL
NOT ONLY IN THE WRITTEN
STATEMENT OF THE CONVERSATION,
BUT ALSO IN THE VERBAL
PRESENTATION BY PROSECUTORS
TODAY.
TODAY. IT SEEMS CLEARLY CABINET THAT
THE CABINET OFFICIAL PAUL
MANAFORT WAS ORGANIZING THIS
EFFORT TO SMEAR, TO PROMOTE
PRO-RUSSIAN INTERESTS BACK IN
2012 WAS THEN SECRETARY OF STATE
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON.
SO IF THIS MANAFORT PLEA AND HIS
COOPERATION ENDS UP LINKING BACK
TO A -- A LATER FOREIGN FUNDED
ILLEGAL BIZARRE EFFORT TO SMEAR
HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRO-RUSSIAN
INTERESTS, NOT IN 2012, BUT IN
2015 AND 2016 WHEN SHE WAS
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AGAINST
DONALD TRUMP, THIS IS PROBABLY
THE FIRST SIGN OF IT IN
MANAFORT’S GUILTY PLEA TODAY.
HE PLEADS GUILTY TO OPERATING AS
AN ILLEGAL UNREGISTERED FOREIGN
AGENT RUNNING A SCHEME IN THIS
COUNTRY TO TRY TO SMEAR HILLARY
CLINTON UNFAIRLY FOR NOT
PROPERLY ALIGNING HERSELF WITH
THE PRO-RUSSIAN INTERESTS HE WAS
WORKING FOR.
WORKING FOR. CAN’T IMAGINE THERE MIGHT BE ANY
PARALLELS WITH THAT THAT WE’RE
GOING TO HEAR OF DOWN THE LINE,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? THIS IS THE EIGHTH PERSON
CONVICTED OR PLEADING GUILTY IN
ROBERT MUELLER’S INVESTIGATION
OF RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. ROBERT MUELLER IS NOW BATTING A
THOUSAND IN TERMS OF CONVICTIONS
AND GUILTY PLEAS FROM EVERYBODY
WHO HE HAS PURSUED IN COURT.
HE’S ALSO NOW BATTING A THOUSAND
IN TERMS OF SECURING COOPERATION
FROM EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN WHO
HAS BEEN CHARGED IN THIS CASE.
INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT’S
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, THE
PRESIDENT’S DEPUTY CAMPAIGN
CHAIR, AND NOW THE PRESIDENT’S
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN WHO HIMSELF AS
DECADES WORTH OF LINKS TO THE
FORMER SOVIET UNION AND WHOSE
BUSINESS PARTNER IS BELIEVED BY
THE FBI TO BE HIMSELF LINKED TO
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES.
HALF THE WORLD WATCHING THIS IS
NOW EXPECTING A PARDON FOR PAUL
MANAFORT FROM THE PRESIDENT,
LIKE MAYBE AS SOON AS TONIGHT,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? HALF THE WORLD EXPECTS THAT
PART.
PART. HALF THE WORLD THINKS THAT WOULD
BE NUTS, AND THERE’S NO WAY.
BUT HONESTLY, WHAT COUNTS AS TOO