YOU DON’T HEAR EVERY DAY. PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN CHIEF
PLED GUILTY TO FELONIES AND
FLIPPED.
FLIPPED. THE NEWS TONIGHT IS A TRUE
RARITY IN POLITICS AND IN LAW.
A MAN WHO RAN THE CURRENT
PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN MARCHED
INTO COURT TODAY, PLED GUILTY TO
TWO FEDERAL COUNTS AND MADE A
DEAL TO COOPERATE WITH SPECIAL
COUNSEL BOB MUELLER.
THIS IS THE HIGHEST RANKING
TRUMP POLITICAL AIDE TO PLEAD
GUILTY IN THIS VERY MUCH STILL
ACTIVE PROBE.
ACTIVE PROBE. YOU CAN’T GET HIGHER ON THE
CAMPAIGN BECAUSE HE WAS RUNNING
IT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
THIS HIGH STAKES LEGAL AND
POLITICAL MOVE COMES AFTER
MONTHS OF RESISTANCE.
CONSIDER HOW MANAFORT’S WORLD
SHRUNK TO THAT CELL HE WAS
INHABITING IN PRE-TRIAL IN HIS
ILLEGAL RESISTANCE IN THE FORM
OF WITNESS TAMPERING.
THAT RESISTANCE STOPPED, THE
TAMPERING STOPPED, THE GAMES
STOPPED.
STOPPED. HE PLEADED GUILTY DAYS BEFORE HE
WAS GOING TO FACE HIS SECOND
FEDERAL TRIAL AT THE HANDS OF
BOB MUELLER AND THIS DEAL COMES
AFTER WEEKS OF HINTS FROM TRUMP
THAT HE WAS THINKING ABOUT SOME
KIND OF DEAL OR PARDON ON HIS
SIDE AND EVEN PUBLICLY PRAISING
PAUL MANAFORT FOR NOT BEING A
FLIPPER.
FLIPPER. THAT’S BEEN MADE UNTRUE TODAY.
MANAFORT FLIPPING.
MANAFORT FLIPPING. PROSECUTORS CAN NOW ASK HIM
ANYTHING THEY WANT.
RIGHT NOW BEFORE WE GET TO SOME
VERY TALENTED EXPERTS ON ALL OF
THIS BASIC BRAG NEWSREAKING NEWS
THROUGH THE FACTS.
WHEN THE JUDGE ASKED HOW DO YOU
PLEAD, HE ANSWER VERY SIMPLY,
QUOTE, I PLEAD GUILTY.
HIS DEAL ORDERS HIM IN WRITING
TO COOPERATE FULLY, TRUTHFULLY,
COMPLETELY AND FORTHRIGHTLY WITH
THE GOVERNMENT.
THE GOVERNMENT. THAT’S MUELLER.
THAT’S MUELLER. IN ANY AND ALL MATTERS THAT THE
GOVERNMENT, THAT’S MUELLER,
DEEMED RELEVANT.
DEEMED RELEVANT. HE CAN BE INTERVIEWED HIS
KNOWLEDGE OF ALL CRIMINAL
ACTIVITIES, THOSE DOCUMENTS WE
HAVE SEEN THEM FIEPGT OVERGHT, T
NOW.
NOW. HE HAS TO TURN OVER ALL THE
DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS. HE COULD HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN
UNDERCOVER ACTIVITIES.
UNDERCOVER ACTIVITIES. HE HAS TO AGREE TO AND HE HAS
TO, THIS IS A BIG ONE, TESTIFY
AT ANY PROCEEDING BOB MUELLER
ORDERS.
ORDERS. THAT COULD INCLUDE GRAND JURIES,
IT COULD INCLUDE OPEN COURT.
WHILE THE WHITE HOUSE IS RUSHING
OUT TO SAY THESE CRIMES THAT
MFRTS
MFRTS MANAFORT CONFESSES TO WERE NOT
RELATED, THAT MAY NOT MEAN
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. IT’S GOING TO BE UP TO, UNDER
THE LAW NOW, PAUL MANAFORT TO
TELL MUELLER’S TEAM WHICH CAN
INCLUDE HIS WORK FOR THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN OR ANYTHING THAT
INVOLVES TRUMP BEFORE AND AFTER.
THAT GOES INTO THE STRIKE ZONE
OF THIS WHOLE PROBE, WHAT DID
HAPPEN INSIDE THAT TRUMP TOWER
MEETING.
MEETING. WHY DID THE RNC MYSTERIOUSLY
CHANGE LANGUAGE TO HELP PUTIN ON
UKRAINE AT THE RNC CONVENTION.
WHAT OTHER CONTACTS OR ANYTHING
ELSE ABOUT DONALD TRUMP’S
CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA.
>> ARE THERE ANY TIES BETWEEN
MR. TRUMP, YOU OR YOUR CAMPAIGN
AND PUTIN AND HIS REGIME?
>> NO, THERE ARE NOT.
IT’S ABSURD.
IT’S ABSURD. >> MANAFORT TONIGHT IS BACK IN
JAIL BEFORE WHAT WILL ULTIMATELY
BE SENTENCING FOR ALL OF THIS.
HE FACES A DECADE IN PRISON FOR
THOSE TWO CRIMES HE CONFESSED
TODAY PLUS SEPARATE TIME FOR THE
CONVICTION IN VIRGINIA.
MUELLER’S TEAM WAS IN A
CELABRATO
CELABRATO CELABRATORY MOOD.
CELABRATORY MOOD. MANAFORT HAS TO FORFEIT SEVERAL
OF HIS VERY LUXURIOUS
PROPERTIES.
PROPERTIES. PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY TO MANY
PEOPLE, IT WILL INCLUDE HIS
APARTMENT IN TRUMP TOWER ITSELF.
THAT RESIDENCE WAS PART OF PAUL
MANAFORT’S PITCH TO TRUMP THAT
HE SHOULD BE HIRED AS A
VOLUNTEER ON THE CAMPAIGN.
TONIGHT PAUT MANAFORTL MANAFORT
NEW GROUP.
NEW GROUP. A GROUP OF TRUMP AIDES WHO HAVE
GONE ONTO PLEAD GUILTY AT THE
HANDS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
LET’S GET RIGHT TO A VERY
IMPORTANT PANEL THAT WE PUT
FORWARD.
FORWARD. MY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE DAYS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT BOB
MUELLER GOT HERE, IS THERE
ANYTHING HE WANTED THAT HE
DIDN’T GET OUT OF MANAFORT OR IS
THIS A COMPLETE FOLD?
>> THIS IS A COMPLETE FOLD.
YOU CAN WANT READ IT ANY OTHER
WAY.
WAY. I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU TONIGHT AND
I THOUGHT ABOUT VINCE STAPLES.
IT’S ABOUT AS HOT AS 6500
DEGREES RIGHT NOW IN THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. PAUL MANAFORT HAD SAID BEFORE HE
DEPARTMENTS WANT TO COOPERATE
WHERE DONALD TRUMP WAS
CONCERNED.
CONCERNED. NOW HERE HE IS FULLY COOPERATING
WHERE EVER MUELLER’S QUESTIONS
TAKE HIM AND INTO ANY VENUE THAT
MUELLER WANTS TO TAKE HIM.
THAT IS HUGE.
REMEMBER, IT’S BOTH THE TRUMP
TOWER MEETING, IT’S ALSO THE
FACT THAT HE, MUELLER SAID IN
THE VIRGINIA FILINGS THAT HE
THOUGHT THAT THERE WERE REASONS
TO WANT TO KNOW ABOUT CREATING A
BACK CHANNEL TO RUSSIA.
THAT WAS EXPLICIT AND THAT’S
SOMETHING WE KNOW HE’S GOT TO BE
TALKING TO MANAFORT ABOUT.
ANOTHER THING TO REMEMBER, HE
DIDN’T AGREE TO GIVE MANAFORT A
COOPERATION AGREEMENT UNLESS HE
HAD HEARD SUFFICIENTLY ENOUGH
FROM MANAFORT TO MAKE IT WORTH
HIS WHILE.
HIS WHILE. >> THAT’S VERY IMPORTANT WHAT
YOU SAY THERE.
PATRICK, YOU WERE ANALYZING THIS
EARLIER TODAY AND SAYING THERE’S
A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF VALUABLE
INFORMATION THAT CHANGING TODAYE
YESTERDAY THAT MAY HAVE BEEN
UNDER PAUL MANAFORT’S RIGHT AS A
DEFENDANT TO WITH HOLD AND TODAY
THAT ULTIMATELY ALL BECOMES
BASICALLY ROBERT MUELLER’S
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. EXPLAIN.
EXPLAIN. >> PAUL MANAFORT WAS IN THE
INNER CIRCLE WITH TRUMP DURING
ALL THE TIME PERIOD THAT MUELLER
IS MOST INTERESTED IN.
NOW MUELLER THAT THAT.
PAUL MANAFORT WAS CHAIRMAN OF
THE CAMPAIGN.
THE CAMPAIGN. HE KNOWS WHERE THE MONEY MOVED.
MUELLER HAS ALL THAT.
THAT INCLUDES THE MONEY TO
COHEN, THAT INCLUDES THE MONEY
TO MISTRESSES, ET CETERA.
MANAFORT WAS AT THE FAMOUS TRUMP
TOWER MEETING.
TOWER MEETING. HE KNOWS WHO KNEW ABOUT THAT
MEETING.
MEETING. HE KNOWS WHO TALKED ABOUT THAT
MEETING AND HE KNOWS WHO GOT
REPORTS ABOUT THAT MEETING.
MUELLER HAS ALL THAT.
MANAFORT, I ALSO THINK, A HUGE
CONTRIBUTION HE MAKES TO MUELLER
IS THAT HE IS GOING TO
CORROBORATE A LOT OF WHAT FLYNN
AND GATES AND PAPADOPOULOS AND
OTHER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SAY
AND HAVE SAID.
THAT IS HUGE.
HE HAS MADE EVERY SINGLE WITNESS
THAT MUELLER HAS STRONGER.
>> DAVID CORN.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE WAY I
LOOK AT IT, PAUL MANAFORT HAD A
CHOICE.
CHOICE. HE HAD TWO GUYS.
HE HAD TO DECIDE WHO TO TRUST.
ONE WAS DONALD TRUMP WHO COUNT
BE MORE EXPLICIT WHO SAYS I WILL
GIVE YOU A PORARDON OR BOB MUELL
WHO SAID COOPERATE WITH ME,
YOU’LL PROBABLY STILL HAVE TO DO
TIME.
TIME. YOU’LL HAVE TO GIVE UP MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS IN YOUR ASSETS AND
COOPERATE AND TELL ME
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. HE HAD TO DECIDE WHICH WAY TO
GO.
GO. HE ENDED UP TRUSTING BOB MUELLER
MORE THAN HE TRUST DONALD TRUMP.
THAT’S WHERE HE IS TODAY.
IN ADDITION TO TALKING ABOUT THE
TRUMP TOWER MEETING AND CAMPAIGN
MONEY ISSUES, HE KNEW THAT
GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS IS TRYING TO
SET UP A BACK CHANNEL BETWEEN
PUTIN’S OFFICE AND THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN AND WE KNOW HE WAS ALSO
GOOD FRIENDS WITH ROGER STONE
AND WOULD HAVE BEEN ROGER
STONE’S POINT OF CONTACT IF
STONE WAS INVOLVED.
I SAY IF HE WAS INVOLVED.
HE’S THE GUY AT THE CENTER OF SO
MUCH.
MUCH. WE’RE ALL SITTING HERE WAITING
FOR THE TRUMP TWEETS.
THIS PUTS TRUMP INTO EVEN A
DEEPER CORNER.
DEEPER CORNER. HOW FAR BACK CAN HE BE PUSHED?
>> WELL, SETH, WHAT MESSAGE DOES
THIS SEND TO ANYONE ELSE WHO
THINKS THEY COULD STARE DOWN BOB
MUELLER AND DEFY HIM AND WIN?
>> THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT
GIVING UP.
GIVING UP. THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT WHERE
THEY’RE GOING TO GO AND GET
THEIR BREAD BUTTERED.
THAT’S WITH BOB MUELLER.
FOR EVERYONE ELSE SITTING OUT
THERE, ROGER STONE, FOR EXAMPLE,
THIS IS BAD DAY.
OBVIOUSLY A VERY BAD DAY FOR THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. MY BIGGEST TAKE AWAY FROM THIS
IN THE BROAD SPECTRUM OF WHAT’S
GOING ON FROM A PROSECUTOR’S
PERSPECTIVE IS MUELLER HAS BEEN
CLIMBING THIS LADDER AND
REACHING THE HIGHEST WRUNGS OF
THIS LADDER.
THIS LADDER. THIS NEXT STEP IS TO TARGET THE
CLOSEST TO THE PRESIDENT.
THAT’S DONALD TRUMP JUNIOR AND
JARED KUSHNER WHO ARE PAR TIS
TANTS
TANTS -- PARTICIPANTS IN THAT TRUMP
TOWER MEETING.
TOWER MEETING. IF THAT ILLEGAL QUID PRO QUO
TOOK PLACE YOU COULD HAVE
SERIOUS FEDERAL CHARGES BROUGHT
AGAINST DON JUNIOR AND KUSHNER.
IF YOU GET THOSE TWO UNDER
INDICTMENT, THEY ARE VERY CLOSE
TO THE PRESIDENT.
IF I’M THE PRESIDENT, YOU’RE
SITTING VERY UNCOMFORTABLE
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. >> YOU’RE ZEROING IN ON WHETHER
THERE WAS A CRIME COMMITTED OR
CONSPIRED.
CONSPIRED. THAT’S AN ISSUE, DID THAT HAPPEN
AND AS ALL FAIR PROSECUTORS HAVE
TO DO ON A PROBATIVE SIDE, DO
YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO WIN THE CASE?
YOU WOULDN’T NECESSARILY WANT TO
HANG THAT ENTIRE CASE AGAINST A
SENIOR PERSON OR PRESIDENTIAL
FAMILY MEMBER ONLY ON GEORGE
PAPADOPOULOS.
PAPADOPOULOS. OUR BARI IS, THESTA IN THIS STOR
PAUL MANAFORT IS IN CHARGE.
I’M READING FROM THE AGREEMENT
THAT SAYS THE DEFENDANT, THAT’S
MANAFORT, QUOTE AGREES TO
TESTIFY AT ANY PROCEEDING
REQUESTED BY MUELLER.
WHERE DOES THAT FIT IN TO ANY
CASE THAT MIGHT EVER WANT TO
PROVE REGARDING WHAT HAPPENED IN
THE MEETING?
THE MEETING? >> THE POINT BEING THAT MANAFORT
IS A PERSON WHO MUST HAVE
SALIENT INFORMATION AND IN HE IS
NOW OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE IT.
HE’S ALSO SOMEONE WHO HAS
DEMONSTRATED THAT HE’S GOING TO
OBSTRUCT JUSTICE.
OBSTRUCT JUSTICE. THE QUESTION BECOMES WHAT DID HE
KNOW ABOUT ALSO HOW THEY WERE
OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE IN TERMS OF
THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT
MEETING.
MEETING. AS WE KNOW, THEY LIED ABOUT WHY
THEY WERE HAVING THAT MEETING IN
THE FIRST PLACE.
STLST NO
STLST NO THERE’S NOWHERE ELSE FOR THIS TO
GO EXCEPT THE NEXT WRUNG OF THAT
LADDER.
LADDER. PLUS I THINK THERE’S SO MUCH WE
CAN’T KNOW ABOUT WHAT ELSE
ROBERT MUELLER KNOWS ABOUT WHO
ELSE.
ELSE. I’M NOT SURE THAT WE KNOW YET
ALL THE FOLKS WHO ARE GOING TO
BE IMPLICATED IN THIS AND NOW
THAT MANAFORT HAS TO SHARE THAT
INFORMATION, WE’LL SEE.
>> YOU JUST PUT YOUR FINGER ON
SOMETHING THAT GOES TO THE
DIFFERENCE OF POLITICS WHERE
LYING CAN BE COMMON PLACE AND
COURT WHERE CERTAIN TYPES OF
LIES TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE ARE
THEMSELVES SEPARATE FELONIES.
DAVID, READING, WE HAVE THESE
RICH NEW DOCUMENTS.
I’M GOING TO KEEP READING FROM
THEM.
THEM. IT’S THE ONLY TIME THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL’S OFFICE EVER SPEAKS.
THEY MADE A POINT TO GET HIM TO
PLEAD TO A CONSPIRACY AGAINST
THE U.S., QUOTE, TO OBSTRUCT
JUSTICE BY TAMPERING WITH
WITNESSES WHILE ON PRE-TRIAL
RELEASE.
RELEASE. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BOB
MUELLER’S REPEATED MESSAGE HERE
THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT RUDY
GIULIANI SAYS ON TV, CONSPIRACY
TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE IS A FELONY?
>> ROBERT MUELLER PLAYS IT HARD.
HE DIDN’T BLINK IN THIS CASE.
HE WAS WILLING TO BRING THE
SECOND TRIAL TO TRIAL.
AS MYA SAID, HE GOT MANAFORT TO
COMPLETELY FOLD.
COMPLETELY FOLD. IF YOU’RE INVOLVED IN THIS CASE
AND YOU HAVEN’T COME TO THAT
CONCLUSION YET, I THINK YOU’LL
END UP IN A WORLD OF HURT.
ONE LINE OF INQUIRY THAT WE
HAVEN’T SEEN A LOT OF YET BUT
COULD BE A THREAT TO MANY OF THE
PARTICIPANTS HERE IS LYING TO
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. A LOT OF THESE GUYS HAVE GIVEN
PRIVATE TESTIMONY TO THE
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES AND IF
YOU HAVE MANAFORT OUT THERE TALK
ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AND
IF HE CAN SHOW THAT SOME OF
THESE TESTIMONIES WERE NOT
ACCURATE, IT OPENS UP A WHOLE
OTHER REALM OF EXPOSURE FOR SOME
OF THESE VERY SENIOR PEOPLE IN
THE TRUMP RUSSIAN SCANDAL.
>> PATRICK, YOU HAVE PROSECUTED
THE MAFIA, DO YOU SEE ANY
PARALLELS TO HOW MUELLER HAS
MADE THIS PROGRESS TONIGHT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS CLASSIC CLIMBING UP THE
LADDER AS SETH SAID TO GET TO
THE TOP OF THE ORGANIZATION.
I THINK THE FACT THAT HE GETS
MUELLER IS VERY ANALA --
>> MANAFORT.
>> MANAFORT. >> IT’S VERY ANALAGOUS TO WHAT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. IT LED DIRECTLY TO BRINGING DOWN
THE BOSS.
THE BOSS. EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE FAMILY
THEN REALIZED IF GOTTI CAN BE
TAKEN DOWN THEN WHAT CHANCE DO
WE HAVE.
WE HAVE. I THINK THAT’S WHAT EVERYBODY
ELSE INVOLVED IN THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN AND THE RUSSIA
CONNECTIONS HAS TO BE THINKING
TO THEMSELVES TONIGHT.
IF MANAFORT AND HIS MONEY
COULDN’T DO IT, WHAT COULD WE
DO.
DO. >> MY LAST QUESTION BEFORE I
LOSE YOU, YOU HAVE SEEN TOUGH
PEOPLE AND YOU COULD BE TOUGH IN
A GOOD WAY OR BAD WAY IN THIS
WORLD.
WORLD. YOU’VE SEEN TOUGH PEOPLE WHO
HAVE HAD THEIR MINDS CHANGED.
WE KNOW PAUL MANAFORT SAW
HIMSELF AS TOUGH.
HE WAS OUT IN OTHER COUNTRIES
WHERE HE KNEW HE WAS IN PHYSICAL
DANGER.
DANGER. HE WAS DEALING WITH UNSAVEORY
CHARACTERS AND CAME BACK HERE
WITNESS TAMPERING.
WITNESS TAMPERING. WHEN AND HOW WAS IT HE WENT FROM
ALL OF THAT TO THIS CHANGE THAT
CULMINATES TO TONIGHT’S NEWS?
>> SURE.
>> SURE. THERE’S TOUGH AND THERE’S
STUPID.
STUPID. YOU COULD BE TOUGH BUT YOU DON’T
HAVE TO BE STUPID.
HE DID THE MATH.
HE SAW WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DID
IN VIRGINIA.
IN VIRGINIA. HE SAW WAS WHAT HAS COMING.
HE FIGURED IT OUT.
AS IT WAS POINTED OUT EARLIER,
HE DECIDED HE COULDN’T PRESIDENT
TRUMP SO HE DECIDED TO TRUST
ROBERT MUELLER.
ROBERT MUELLER. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. SO INTERESTING YOU SAY THAT FROM
YOUR EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH
SOME OF THESE HARDENING FOLKS.
DAVID CORN SAYING FROM A
JOURNALISTIC PERSPECTIVE BUT
THAT’S WHAT HANGS OVER THIS