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Judge in Manafort case says Mueller's aim is to hurt Trump
CNN ^ | 05-04-2018 | By Katelyn Polantz and Jessica Schneider

Posted on 05/04/2018 10:48:56 AM PDT by Red Badger

A federal judge expressed deep skepticism Friday in the bank fraud case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller's office against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, at one point saying he believes that Mueller's motivation is to oust President Donald Trump from office. Although Mueller's authority has been tested in court before, Friday's hearing was notable for District Judge T.S. Ellis' decision to wade into the divisive political debate around the investigation. "You don't really care about Mr. Manafort's bank fraud," Ellis said to prosecutor Michael Dreeben, at times losing his temper. Ellis said prosecutors were interested in Manafort because of his potential to provide material that would lead to Trump's "prosecution or impeachment," Ellis said. "That's what you're really interested in," said Ellis, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan.

Ellis repeated his suspicion several times in the hour-long court hearing. He said he'll make a decision at a later date about whether Manafort's case can go forward. "We don't want anyone in this country with unfettered power. It's unlikely you're going to persuade me the special prosecutor has power to do anything he or she wants," Ellis told Dreeben. "The American people feel pretty strongly that no one has unfettered power." When Dreeben answered Ellis' question about how the investigation and its charges date back to before the Trump campaign formed, the judge shot back, "None of that information has to do with information related to Russian government coordination and the campaign of Donald Trump." At one point, Ellis posed a hypothetical question, speaking as if he were the prosecutor, about why Mueller's office referred a criminal investigation about Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen to New York authorities and kept the Manafort case in Virginia.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: lisapage; paulmanafort; peterstrzok; robertmueller
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To: Alberta's Child
-- The answer seems so obvious and innocuous to me, I'm wondering why the judge asked it in the first place. Cohen lives in New York. Manafort lives in Virginia. Am I missing something here? --

Mueller is free to bring charges in NY if he wants. Mueller let go of the Cohen case because it was out of his subject matter jurisdiction. If the Cohen case is out of his subject matter jurisdiction, then why isn't a 2005 tax case out of his subject matter jurisdiction?

21 posted on 05/04/2018 11:11:44 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: raiderboy
Judge Ellis asked him if Rosenbutt has recused since he is “a witness”.

I've read a couple of articles on this and did not see that. Please provide a link if you have it. That in and of itself is pretty big.
22 posted on 05/04/2018 11:18:49 AM PDT by JoSixChip (He is Batman!)
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To: Red Badger

“(8)(A) The term ‘‘contribution’’ includes—
(i) any gift, subscription, loan, advance, or
deposit of money or anything of value made by
any person for the purpose of influencing any
election for Federal office; or”

“Except as provided in section 30109(a)(8) of this
title, the power of the Commission to initiate
civil actions under subsection (a)(6) shall be the
exclusive civil remedy for the enforcement of
the provisions of this Act.”

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2014-title52/pdf/USCODE-2014-title52-subtitleIII.pdf

Mueller and all of the DoJ have no authority to prosecute campaign law violations apparently.


23 posted on 05/04/2018 11:23:14 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: Red Badger

He should file a complaint to have Michael Dreeben disbarred.


24 posted on 05/04/2018 11:24:09 AM PDT by \/\/ayne (I regret that I have but one subscription cancellation notice to give to my local newspaper.)
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To: Brian Griffin

“Mueller and all of the DoJ have no authority to prosecute campaign law violations apparently.”

Except by referral:

“Whenever the Commission refers an apparent
violation to the Attorney General, the Attorney
General shall report to the Commission any action
taken by the Attorney General regarding
the apparent violation. Each report shall be
transmitted within 60 days after the date the
Commission refers an apparent violation, and
every 30 days thereafter until the final disposition
of the apparent violation.”

“(d) Penalties; defenses; mitigation of offenses
(1)(A) Any person who knowingly and willfully
commits a violation of any provision of this Act
which involves the making, receiving, or reporting
of any contribution, donation, or expenditure—
(i) aggregating $25,000 or more during a calendar
year shall be fined under title 18, or imprisoned
for not more than 5 years, or both;”


25 posted on 05/04/2018 11:30:04 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: Cboldt
Good point. Here's what I would suggest.

1. There is no 2005 tax case here. The statute of limitations for such a charge has long since expired.

2. Manafort has made a career out of peddling influence in Washington to foreign governments. I think you'd have a hard time finding a Federal investigation involving Manafort that did NOT come under Mueller's jurisdiction.

26 posted on 05/04/2018 11:33:19 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.")
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To: Red Badger

I hope this judge kicks the crap out of these yobs


27 posted on 05/04/2018 11:35:58 AM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: Nifster

He should declare the defendants not guilty and end the charade...............


28 posted on 05/04/2018 11:36:53 AM PDT by Red Badger (Remember all the great work Obama did for the black community?.............. Me neither.)
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To: DOC44

Stopping a car ain’t hard. Stopping this coup is a different matter


29 posted on 05/04/2018 11:37:17 AM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: Red Badger

For the curious (via Wikipedia on Paul Manafort):

United States of America v. Paul J. Manafort, Jr. and Richard W. Gates III, case no. 17-cr-00201, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (October 27, 2017)

https://www.justice.gov/file/1007271/download

I haven’t the time to read it now.


30 posted on 05/04/2018 11:37:56 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: MUDDOG
😂😂😂 We can hope
31 posted on 05/04/2018 11:37:57 AM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: crosdaddy

“Cohen being prosecuted by the State of NY”

I thought the Stormy Daniels payment went to a Beverly Hills attorney.


32 posted on 05/04/2018 11:40:58 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: raiderboy

Someone said the plan will be to dismiss the matter upon request by the prosecution so they can re introduce it later before a different judge. If they do that, I hope the judge sees it for what it is and dismisses it with prejudice.


33 posted on 05/04/2018 11:41:04 AM PDT by Mouton (The MSM is a clear and present danger to the republic.)
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To: Alberta's Child
-- I think you'd have a hard time finding a Federal investigation involving Manafort that did NOT come under Mueller's jurisdiction. --

That depends on how one construes Mueller's subject matter jurisdiction. Ellis seems to be of a mind that if it isn't Trump campaign related (what Sessions recused from), then it's not in Mueller's subject matter scope.

34 posted on 05/04/2018 11:41:10 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: Nifster
'Stopping a car ain’t hard. Stopping this coup is a different matter' 🤣
35 posted on 05/04/2018 11:43:19 AM PDT by Lent
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To: Red Badger
Thank god it wasn't that FAUX judge Napalitano on FAUX news.

What an ignorant deep state apologist douche that dim-wit is...

36 posted on 05/04/2018 11:46:36 AM PDT by lewislynn ( Jeff Sessions not a mouse or mr. maggo but a low life back stabbing bastard preteending to be AG)
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To: Red Badger

Amazing, there’s an honest judge left in our judiciary!


37 posted on 05/04/2018 11:52:49 AM PDT by Behind the Blue Wall
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To: Behind the Blue Wall
Amazing, there’s an honest judge left in our judiciary!

There are a lot of honest federal judges left in our judiciary - I'm inclined to say most of them are, in fact.

Here, Judge Ellis seems to be particularly put out by having his docket clogged up with political nonsense. Very few judges take kindly to that.
38 posted on 05/04/2018 11:59:16 AM PDT by Jagermonster (TANSTAAFL)
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To: Red Badger

This isn’t rocket science. They seek to destroy him politically, socially and economically forever. And Manafort was the money person for funding for the GOP. destroying him is a way to destroy the Republican Party’s ability to get financing and campaign funds. This is much more than a “Fake Collusion” investigation.


39 posted on 05/04/2018 12:08:17 PM PDT by realcleanguy
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To: lee martell

I’d like to think that at least a FEW judges are still concerned about the integrity of the law and it’s ethical application.


40 posted on 05/04/2018 12:18:01 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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