Would you believe Rick Gates?
I certainly wouldn’t—not unless there was convincing corroborating evidence of the truth of what he is saying.
And really, that wouldn’t be believing Gates—it would be believing the corroborating evidence.
Here’s the situation as it now stands:
Manafort’s former business associate and star witness for the prosecution…Gates testified that Manafort “was good at knowing where the money was and how to spend it.”
[Judge] Ellis interjected, saying, “he wasn’t that great at it” if Gates was able to steal money from Manafort without him noticing.
Gates has testified he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort when he was working for him. He said the extra cash was used for “bonus money” and “family money” to pay off an American Express credit card – without Manafort’s knowledge.
Mueller dropped numerous bank and tax fraud charges against Gates after he struck a plea deal and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
Prosecutors earlier had suggested they might not call Gates to the stand, but Ellis told them they “can’t prove conspiracy without him.”
And IMHO they can’t prove anything with him, except what a smarmy rat he is.
Gates and Manafort were both indicted in October 2017 on charges related to their consulting work with pro-Russian political figures in Ukraine. Additional charges were filed in District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on February 21, 2018, however these charges were withdrawn on February 27, 2018, without prejudice, as agreed to in his plea bargain with Robert S. Mueller III.
Talk about motives for lying! And it’s ironic that, in this particular case, the witness has to also admit he defrauded the person he’s testifying against. Thus, he implicates himself in order to exonerate himself in terms of the length of the prison term he might face.
When I say “smarmy rat,” that’s hardly hyperbole:
During the trial, Gates testified that he and Manafort carried out an elaborate offshore tax-evasion and bank fraud scheme using offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the United Kingdom to funnel millions of dollars from their political consulting work in Ukraine. Gates admitted to concealing the accounts and the income from U.S. tax authorities by disguising the income as loans by falsifying bank loan documents. During testimony, Gates also admitted that he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort, some of which was used to fund an extramarital affair conducted out of high-end hotels and a secret apartment he kept in London where he often stayed while en-route to Kiev on business trips. Manafort’s defense attorney, Kevin Downing, accused Gates of embezzling millions of dollars from his former boss, a much higher amount than Gates later admitted to during testimony. Under cross examination, Gates also admitted to a previous extramarital relationship approximately a decade ago that involved first-class flights and trysts in luxury hotels, but denied that this affair was funded with money stolen from Manafort.[
But hey, we should trust his testimony implicating Manafort, right?
It’s hard to make me feel sorry for Manafort, but this just might do it.
Well, at least we know why Mueller’s team wasn’t exactly eager for this clown to testify.
Be “interesting” to see how the MSM spins it, though.
Underpaid intern, forced into illegal money-laundering and tax evasion operation, required to divert funds in order to support himself, his family, and an acquaintance with a troubled background. Comes clean and asked for leniency so his family would not be burdened by his absence.
I hope they both lose, along with a few prosecuters.
Why is Paul Manafort being charged with anything when Rick Gates is himself admitting to fraud, lying, committing crimes, and stealing? Presumably, Mr. Gates has gotten immunity from the Mueller Special Counsel team. Yet again, this highlights the absurd double standards of this ongoing investigation: tear apart anything and everything done by President Trump and any of his former associates, but do nothing about Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Podesta, Fusion GPS, Christopher Steele, John Brennan, Peter Strozk, Andrew McCabe, the DNC, the FBI, and the Obama Justice Department.
Obviously, the strategy seems to be to use Gates to get to Manafort, who can then be used to get to Trump, somehow. But this is not justice. It is very far removed from the original investigation into “Russian interference.” And could not Paul Manafort file a civil claim against Rick Gates to get his money back? Any immunity deal would not cover that.
Manafort was a delegate counters who was outside of Trump’s circle brought into the campaign for the sole purpose to prevent the GOP from stealing the primary election from Trump. Common sense tells us the fact that he or Don Jr was successfully beguiled into having a meeting with some phony Russia spy sent by the DNC based on some phony emails to frame the Trump Campaign of colluding with Russia proves that the Trump Campaign had no connection or communication route with Russia because otherwise they would have known her to be a phony and not take the meeting. of course the democrats and Mueller don’t operate under common sense, which is what the common law is based on, the only truth is according to them the outlandish story they cooked up in their little minds based on nothing but their wishing thinking that Trump won because he cheated not because Obama and Hillary were losers but still can’t be disproved because it is impossible for Trump to prove a negative and since there is no absolution 1 in a billion chance that the Russian Collusion happened still means Trump did it.
I stumbled across a website that had the actual testimony, which I can’t find … Anyway, it was hilarious with Gates changing his story from one minute to the next under examination by the defense lawyer. There was also the obligatory scene where the judge beat up a prosecution lawyer and made him cry, really!
One of Trump’s great services to the country is exposing what a bunch of third raters make a living as government employees, even at what are supposed to be the highest and most important positions. Not only can’t Mueller’s gang shoot straight, they can’t even stand up straight, and are totally incapable of playing the game unless the fix is in.
I think Napolitano believes that the only way a judge could be fair is if he shows a strong bias against Manafort
Paul – could be like this one? – no testimony, just a report
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/08/manafort-trial-judge-ts-ellis-taunts-and-torments-mueller-team-tears-in-your-eyes.html
Some more summary here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-paul-manafort-trial-20180808-story.html
I am a tetch concerned that Judge Ellis may step over the line into prejudicial comments that will get traction on appeal if Manafort is acquitted on any of the charges.
This story seems to be a reasonably fair summation, but the headline tells where their heart is:
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/08/636626602/war-of-credibility-over-rick-gates-continues-in-paul-manafort-fraud-trial
A few more salient points, with obligatory spin, here:
https://www.vox.com/2018/8/7/17661836/manafort-trial-gates-testimony
“Manafort’s defense team goes all out to try to discredit Rick Gates’s testimony”
Manafort was a delegate counters who was outside of Trump’s circle brought into the campaign for the sole purpose to prevent the GOP from stealing the primary election from Trump.
He was hired by the Rump kids who then fired Lewandowski who had run the campaign until then. Trump learned he was a crook and fired him. His knowledge of conventions was ten years lad and worthless.
Judge Ellis may step over the line into prejudicial comments that will get traction on appeal if Manafort is acquitted on any of the charges.
Who appeals an acquittal ?
Yankee:
I believe it’s not immunity that was promised, but a much reduced sentence.
I haven’t followed this closely enough to know if they’ve proved the case against Manafort, but the judge said they couldn’t without Gates, and now Gates sounds highly unreliable. All they need is one juror to decide Manafort is being railroaded. He’s not a stellar character, but a no-knock drug-style raid in the dark? My unlikely sympathy for him began at that point.
Gates perjured himself on the stand. Mueller is guilty of suborning perjury.
Democrats and progressives.
Richard Pryor foresaw this in “Is It Something I Said?”
“Your honor. This man is not a heroin dealer per se. He’s being manipulated by these people. He was merely trying to get enough money together to help his dear mom. She had a spinal condition. She needed an operation and he didn’t have the funds to do this, your honor. He was merely trying to raise the money. He tried every odd job he could, and he could not raise the money. When the officers caught him with the 280 kilos he was trying to purchase a hospital in the Bahamas.”
Barry Meislin on August 8, 2018 at 6:10 pm at 6:10 pm said:
Be “interesting” to see how the MSM spins it, though.
They are largely refusing to cover it. That tells you they know how weak this case is. When it implodes, they don’t want to get any on themselves.
“…refusing to cover it….”
Of course! The old “no-scandals-in-the-Obama-administration” trick….
(Works like a charm. Every time….)
i really hope that I hope they both lose, along with a few prosecuters
Someone needs to make a chart. All the usual suspects in this case, and some unusual ones, in a column ranging from slightly scummy to extremely, ultimate scummiest.
This should contain Mueller and his ilk as well as Manafort, Gates, Steele, the FBI guys and gals, heck, even the Podesta clan and the Clintons’ retinue.
Then we need a flowchart of sorts. I realize it would be ‘UUGE! but dang! This is so convoluted!
By the way, I like the new NEO photo. Lovely hair color, great eyes, and yay, the apple!
i like the new neo photo — altho the apple is too UUGE and we only see one eye…
Yet I’d believe the one-eye apple lady over Rick Gates, any day.
I don’t think the jury will find slimy Manafort “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt” of the crimes he’s being accused of, tho they may.
I’m shocked, shocked, I tell you! That Gates is untrustworthy and unbelievable. 🙂 Such a paragon. Such a fine gentleman. 🙂
Unfortunately, the Swamp (D.C.) is loaded with people like him and Manafort. So much money sloshing around there. Those of low character see unlimited opportunities to get their hands on some of it.
Of course, the money they are accused of not paying taxes on came from the Ukraine. Lots of money sloshing around most major capitals. Politics offers many chances to latch on to big paydays. Much temptation there.
Lobbyists and consultants have a role to play, but they have become such major players as to be a shadow government of sorts. Definitely a part of the Deep Sate. Can the Swamp be drained? We’ll see.
Since the Manafort trial is mostly about taxes if made me wonder if Tom Daschle had ever paid his back taxes.
Absent incontrovertible documentary confirmation that Manafort “directed” Gates to do this or that, or that the criminal acts described by Gates were done with Manafort’s foreknowledge and consent, then were I on the jury I’d acquit.
And that evidence would have to consist of more than an email from Manafort exclaiming “WTF” after learning of an unexpected tax liability.
Frankly, from my cursory reading of Gates’s testimony, Gates appears to have been the master manipulator, and Manafort the [thoroughly?] duped partner. Manafort seems to have left the administration, the financial accounts and accounting, and suchlike in the hands of Gates. …and to have trusted his partner. …all of which leads me to the belief that Manafort is the one on trial primarily due to his oh-so-brief (5 months?) connection with the Trump campaign.
Perhaps more will be revealed that will provide some clarification, but at this point “from where I sit, I’d vote to acquit.”
Mike K on August 8, 2018 at 7:44 pm at 7:44 pm said:
…
Judge Ellis may step over the line into prejudicial comments that will get traction on appeal if Manafort is acquitted on any of the charges.
Who appeals an acquittal ?
* * *
Prosecutors who think they can demonstrate that the judge was biased against them.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/09/mueller-team-files-complaint-against-manafort-trial-judge-over-latest-reprimand.html