>>> AS THE NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL WILLIAM BARR STARTED HIS JOB
LEAVING THE HUSBAND OF ONE
SENIOR WHITE HOUSE STAFFER TO
PROCLAIM WILLIAM BARR STARTING
AS AG SAYS WILLIAM WILL BE GONE.
AS WILLIAM BARR TOOK THE REIGNS
FOR HIS FIRST DAY TODAY, THIS IS
WHAT PROSECUTORS IN ROBERT
MUELLER’S OFFICE TOLD A FEDERAL
JUDGE TONIGHT WHO IS STARTING
THE SENTENCING PROCESS FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN
CHAIRMAN PAUL J MANAFORT.
THIS IS WHAT THEY TOLD THE
JUDGE.
JUDGE. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY
AND THREW SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT
S. MUELLER FILES THIS SUBMISSION
TO ADDRESS THE SENTENCING OF
PAUL J MANAFORT JUNIOR.
AS AN INITIAL MATTER, THE
GOVERNMENT AGREES WITH THE
GUIDELINES AND PRESENTENCE
INVESTIGATION REPORT.
INVESTIGATION REPORT. AND IT’S CALCULATIONS OF THE
TOTAL OFFENSE LEVEL AS 38.
WITH A CORRESPONDING RANGE OF
IMPRISONMENT OF 235 TO 293
MONTHS.
MONTHS. THAT’S 19.5 YEARS TO 24.5 YEARS
IN PRISON.
IN PRISON. A FINE RANGE OF $50,000 TO $24.4
MILLION.
MILLION. RESTITUTION IN THE AMOUNT OF
$24.8 MILLION.
$24.8 MILLION. AND FORFEIT.
AND FORFEIT. AND TAX FRAUD, BANK FRAUD AND
FAILING TO FILE A BANK ACCOUNT
REPORT AND MANAFORT WAS A DIRECT
BENEFICIARY OF EACH OFFENSE AND
WHILE SOME OF THESE OFFENSES ARE
COMMONLY PROSECUTED, THERE WAS
NOTHING ORDINARY ABOUT THE
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INVOLVED IN
THE DEFENDANT’S CRIME, THE
DURATION OF THE CRIMINAL CONDUCT
OR SOPHISTICATION OF HIS
SCHEMES.
SCHEMES. FOOTNOTE ONE, FOOTNOTE ONE READS
QUOTE, MANAFORT WAS BEING
INVESTIGATED PRIOR TO THE MAY
2017 APPOINTMENT OF THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL BY PROSECUTORS IN THIS
DISTRICT, MEANING IN THE EASTERN
DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA AND BY
PROSECUTORS IN THE CRIMINAL
DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE.
JUSTICE. OH, THEY WERE ALREADY PURSUING
MANAFORT BEFORE MUELLER WAS EVER
APPOINTED.
APPOINTED. QUOTE, MANAFORT COMMITTED THOSE
CRIMES OVER AN EX END THEED PERT
OF TIME AND HIS DECISIONS WERE
NOT MOMENTARILY, THEY WERE
RETUNE AND THE REPEATED
MISINTERPRETATIONS WERE BRAZEN
WHEN HE WAS THE SUBJECT OF
SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL ATTENTION.
NEITHER THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT
OR GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE OF ANY
MITIGATING FACTORS.
MITIGATING FACTORS. MANAFORT DID NOT COMMIT THESE
CRIMES OUT OF NECESSITY OR
HARDSHIP.
HARDSHIP. HE WAS WELL EDUCATED AND
PROFESSIONALLY SUCCESSFUL AND
WELL OFF.
WELL OFF. HE NONETHELESS CHEATED THE
TREASURY AND PUBLIC OUT OF MORE
THAN $6 MILLION OF TAXES.
MANAFORT COMMITTED BANK FRAUD TO
SUPPLEMENT LIQUIDITY BECAUSE
LAVISH STANDING EXHAUSTED HIS
CASH RESOURCES WHEN HIS OVERSEAS
INCOME DWINDLED.
INCOME DWINDLED. FINALLY, MANAFORT PLED GUILTY IN
2018 FOR THE DISTRICT OF
COLOMBIA TO OTHER CRIMES
COMMITTED OVER AN EVEN LONGER
PERIOD.
PERIOD. THE GOVERNMENT REFERENCES THOSE
CRIMES BELOW BECAUSE THEY
DEMONSTRATE THE DEFENDANT’S
CONCERTED CRIMINALITY.
CONCERTED CRIMINALITY. INCLUDING THE CONDUCT TO WHICH
HE PLED GUILTY TO THE EARLY AS
2005 AND CONTINUING IN AN
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
CONSPIRACY BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND
APRIL OF 2018.
A CRIME MANAFORT COMMITTED WHILE
UNDER INDICTMENT IN TWO JUS
DICTIONS AND BAIL CONVICTIONS,
CONDITIONS, EXCUSE ME.
QUOTE, IN THE END, MANAFORT
ACTED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE AS
IF HE WERE ABOVE THE LAW AND
DEPRIVED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
AND VARIOUS FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS.
DOLLARS. THE SENTENCE HERE SHOULD REFLECT
THE SERIOUSNESS OF THESE CRIMES
AND SERVE TO BOTH DETOUR
MANAFORT AND OTHERS IN ENGAGING
IN SUCH CONDUCT.
OH.
OH. NO MITIGATING FACTORS.
IN ADDITION TO THERE BEING NO
MITIGATING FACTORS, PROSECUTORS
TELL THE JUDGE MANAFORT DESERVES
AN ENHANCEMENT OF THE SENTENCE
BECAUSE HE WAS EFFECTIVELY THE
LEADER OF OTHER PEOPLE IN
COMMITTING THIS CRIMINAL SCHEME,
QUOTE, MAN NOAFORT CONTROLLED TH
ISSUE AND HE CLAIMED A LARGER
SHARE OF THE PROCEEDS.
FURTHER, MANAFORT WAS PLAINLY
THE LEADER INVOLVED NUMEROUS
INDIVIDUALS BOTH KNOWING AND PAR
GAME AND MANAFORT’S TAX
PREPARERS AND BOOKKEEPERS AND
OTHERS IN CYPRESS INVOLVED IN
ORIGINATING AND MAINTAINING THE
DEFENDANTS’ OVERSEAS ACCOUNTS.
IN THE FACTORS SET FORTH, THE
LEADERSHIP ENHANCEMENT IS
WARRANTED, WHICH MEANS THERE IS
SOMETHING THAT GETS REFERRED TO
AS THE LEADERSHIP ENHANCEMENT
THAT MAKES THE SENTENCE WORSE.
THEY SAY HE SHOULD GET THAT AND
PROSECUTORS SAY HE DESERVES
ANOTHER SENTENCE ENHANCEMENT FOR
USING SOPHISTICATED MEANS TO
COMMIT CRIMES.
COMMIT CRIMES. ON PAGE 19 OF THE SUBMISSION,
PROSECUTORS SAY MANAFORT SHOULD
BE GIVEN ZERO CREDIT IN HIS
SENTENCING FOR ACCEPTING
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS CRIMES.
THEY SAY HE SHOULD GET NO CREDIT
FOR THAT IN PART BECAUSE HE
DIDN’T PLEAD GUILTY TO ANYTHING
IN THE VIRGINIA CASE AND PART
BECAUSE HE BREACHED HIS
COOPERATION AGREEMENT IN THE
D.C. CASE AND LIED TO
PROSECUTORS AFTER HE DID PLEAD
GUILTY THERE.
GUILTY THERE. THEY SAY HE ALSO SHOULDN’T GET
THAT IN PART BECAUSE EVEN NOW HE
STILL ISN’T HANDING OVER THE
FINANCIAL MATERIALS HE’S
SUPPOSED TO HAND OVER AS PART OF
THE SENTENCING PROCESS.
HERE IS THE BIG WINDUP.
QUOTE, MANAFORT’S HISTORY AND
CHARACTERISTICS ARE AGGRAVATING
FACTORS.
FACTORS. MANAFORT HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY
TO SUCCEED.
TO SUCCEED. HE’S WELL EDUCATED AND A MEMBER
OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION
ATTENDING GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY.
HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL POLITICAL
CONSULTANT BOTH IN THE UNITED
STATES AND ABROAD.
THERE THEY FOOTNOTE RICK GATES
TALKING ABOUT HOW BRILLIANT
MANAFORT WAS AT HIS JOB.
QUOTE, MANAFORT’S AGE DOES NOT
ELIMINATE THE RISK HE POSES
GIVEN HIS PATTERN OCCURRED OVER
MORE THAN A DECADE AND THAT THE
MOST RECENT CRIMES HE PLED
GUILTY TO OCCURRED FROM FEBRUARY
TO APRIL OF LAST YEAR.
WHEN HE CONSPIRED TO TAMPER WITH
WITNESSES AT A TIME WHEN HE WAS
UNDER INDICTMENT IN TWO SEPARATE
DISTRICTS, FURTHER, AS JUDGE
JACKSON IN D.C. FOUND,
MANAFORT’S MISCONDUCT CONTINUED
AS RECENTLY AS OCTOBER 2018 WHEN
HE INTENTIONALLY LIED TO THE
GOVERNMENT DURING PROFFER
SESSIONS AND DURING THE GRAND
JURY.
JURY. HE REPEATEDLY VIOLATED THE LAW
CONSIDERING ONLY THE CRIMES
CHARGED IN THIS DISTRICT, THEY
MAKE PLAIN THAT MANAFORT CHOSE
TO GAUGE IN A SCHEME TO HIDE
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM U.S.
AUTHORITIES AND WHEN FOREIGN
INCOME STREAM DISAPPOINTSIPATED
HE CHOSE TO ENGAGE IN BANK
FRAUDS IN THE U.S. TO MAINTAIN
HIS LIFESTYLE AT THE EXTENSION
OF VARIOUS FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS.
INSTITUTIONS. MANAFORT CHOSE TO DO THIS FOR NO
OTHER REASON THAN GREED.
EVIDENCING HIS BELIEF THAT THE
LAW DOESN’T APPLY TO HIM.
MANAFORT SOLICITED NUMEROUS
PROFESSIONALS TO REAP HIS ILL
GOTTEN GAINS.
GOTTEN GAINS. THE SENTENCE IN THIS CASE MUST
TAKE INTO THE ACCOUNT THE
GLOVETYGLOVE
GLOVETYGLOVE TY
TY GRAVITY OF THIS CONTACT AND
DETOUR MANAFORT AND THOSE WHO
WOULD COMMIT SIMILAR CRIMES.
THAT’S SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE
SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE.
THEY ARE RECOMMENDING 19.5 YEARS
TO 24.5 YEARS IN PRISON AND
FINES AND RESTITUTION OF UP TO S
THIS IS JUST THE FILING FROM THE
PROSECUTORS.
PROSECUTORS. WE’LL EXPECT QUICKLY TO SEE A
FILING FROM MANAFORT’S DEFENSE
TEAM THAT SAYS SERIOUSLY, YOU
GUYS, DON’T BE CRAZY.
HE’S A BOY SCOUT WHO MISSED A
FEW MERIT BADGES, COMMUNITY
SERVICE WOULD BE MORE THAN
APPROPRIATE, YOUR HONOR.
I’M PARAPHRASING WHAT I EXPECT.
GIVEN THESE GUIDELINE RANGES AND
FELONIES THAT MANAFORT IS
CONVICTED OF IN THIS CASE AND
GIVEN THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE
FIRST OF MANAFORT’S TWO FEDERAL
SENTENCING PROCESSES, THIS IS
ONLY THE FIRST JUDGE THAT WILL
SENTENCE HIM, I THINK TONIGHT
WHAT MAY BE IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF
US HERE, NOT JUST FOR PAUL
MANAFORT AS A PERSON IN THIS
CASE, NOT JUST FOR THE
PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN CHAIR IN
TERMS OF WHAT THIS SAYS ABOUT
THE PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN, WHAT
MAY BE IMPORTANT FOR THE COUNTRY
HERE IS THAT THIS IS VERY MUCH
LOOKING LIKE THE END OF THE LINE
FOR PAUL MANAFORT.
I MEAN, WHAT WAS HE THINK INCOME
BLOWING UP HIS PLEA DEAL BY
LYING INTENTIONALLY TO
PROSECUTORS FROM THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL’S OFFICE?
COUNSEL’S OFFICE? HE HAD TO KNOW THEY WOULD CATCH
HIM GIVEN EVERYTHING ELSE THEY
CAUGHT HIM ON.
WELL, THE JUDGE SAYS ONE OF THE
THINGS MANAFORT INTENTIONALLY
LIED TO PROSECUTORS ABOUT WAS
THE EXTENT OF HIS COMMUNICATIONS
WITH THE GUY WHO PROSECUTORS SAY
IS LINKED TO RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE.
INTELLIGENCE. JUST THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A
SECOND.
SECOND. THAT’S WHAT HE DELIBERATELY LIED
ABOUT AFTER HE ENTERED INTO A
COOPERATION DEAL WITH THEM AND
HE KNEW LYING WOULD BE
ESSENTIALLY A FATAL OFFENSE.
THAT MEANS AT GREAT PERSONAL
EXPENSE AT THE COST OF
POTENTIALLY DYING IN PRISON,
PAUL MANAFORT, THE PRESIDENT’S
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN LIED TO COVER
UP THE CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION
OR AT LEAST A CHANNEL OF
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN WHEN HE WAS CHAIRMAN
AND RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE.
DURING THE TIME THAT RUSSIA WAS
INTERFERING IN THE U.S.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO HELP
HIS CANDIDATE.
HIS CANDIDATE. TO HELP PRESIDENT TRUMP.
HE WAS DELIBERATELY LYING TO
PROSECUTORS ABOUT THAT.
THAT IS THE LIE THAT IS GOING TO
COST PAUL MANAFORT HIS LAST FREE
BREATH.
BREATH. TO COVER UP THAT CHANNEL OF
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE DURING THE
CAMPAIGN, PAUL MANAFORT IS
WILLING TO DIE IN PRISON.
IS HIS EFFORT TO COVER THAT UP
SOMETHING THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
WILL SEE AS WORTHY OF A
PRESIDENTIAL PARDON?
PRESIDENTIAL PARDON? AGAIN, TODAY WAS THE FIRST FULL
DAY ON THE JOB FOR WILLIAM BARR
AS ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. THIS IS HIS SECOND TIME SERVING
AS ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. THE ONE THING HE’S FAMOUS FOR
DOING THE FIRST TIME HE WAS A.G.
IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE
H.W. BUSH IS HE WAS THE DRIVING
FORCE BEHIND THE INFAMOUS
CHRISTMAS EVE 1992 PARDONS FOR
SIX SENIOR ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS WHO WERE CAUGHT UP IN
THE IRAN SCANDAL.
INCLUDING THE SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE.
DEFENSE. SIX IRAN FIGURES PARTENED ON
CHRISTMAS EVE BY PRESIDENT BUSH
AFTER BUSH HAD ALREADY BEEN
VOTED OUT OF OFFICE BUT BEFORE
THE NEXT PRESIDENT COULD BE
SWORN IN.
SWORN IN. WILLIAM BARR RECOMMENDED THOSE
PARDONS IN IRAN CONTRA.
THE DAY HE STARTED AS ATTORNEY
GENERAL, THIS PRESIDENT’S
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN RECEIVED A
SENTENCE RECOMMENDATION FROM
PROS CUEKU
PROS CUEKU PROSECUTORS OF 19 TO 24 YEARS IN
PRISON PLUS TENS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS TO PAY.