Manafort Legal Team Mistakenly Upload Notes to Docket

Paul Manafort'south attorney told jurors: "We're primarily here considering of one homo — Rick Gates." Brendan Smialowski /AFP/Getty Images hide explanation

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Brendan Smialowski /AFP/Getty Images

Paul Manafort's chaser told jurors: "Nosotros're primarily here because of one human — Rick Gates."

Brendan Smialowski /AFP/Getty Images

Updated at six:15 p.thou. ET

President Trump asked his attorney general to stop Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation Wednesday morning time, as the commencement trial stemming from that investigation entered its 2nd twenty-four hour period.

Paul Manafort, Trump'due south quondam campaign chairman, is on trial in Alexandria, Va., for bank and tax fraud charges, not, equally Trump noted in a Twitter thread Wednesday morning, for "collusion."

"[Manafort] worked for me for a very short fourth dimension. Why didn't authorities tell me that he was under investigation," Trump wrote. "These one-time charges have zilch to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

Trump called the Mueller investigation a "terrible state of affairs" and said Attorney General Jeff Sessions "should terminate this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country whatsoever further."

Sessions recused himself early last year from all matters related to the Justice Section's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 ballot and possible coordination with Trump campaign aides, because of his adviser role in Trump'due south campaign. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has been overseeing Mueller's probe since the special counsel was appointed last summer, and he, too, has recently come up nether burn down past conservative lawmakers in Congress.

It's not the first time Trump has mentioned wanting to cutting the Russian federation probe short.

He reportedly ordered White House counsel Don McGahn to burn Mueller final summertime, an order the president eventually walked back when McGahn threatened to quit. Mueller has been interested in whether Trump attempted to obstruct justice at any point since at least final June, and The New York Times reported terminal week that the special counsel's lawyers have told Trump's legal squad that they are specifically examining Trump'due south tweets related to obstacle.

What do you practice when obstruction of justice takes place right out in the open, on Twitter, for the whole world to see? https://t.co/WhjHNr0mnk

— Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) August i, 2018

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders was asked in Wednesday's press conference about the tweet, and whether Trump wanted to "arbitrate" in Mueller'southward investigation.

"Information technology's not an order, it's the president's opinion," Sanders said. "The president has watched this process play out but he also wants to see it come to an end, as he'due south stated many times. We expect forward to that happening."

Trump'due south personal lawyers likewise downplayed the tweet, in comments to The Washington Mail.

"He carefully used the discussion, 'should,'" Rudy Giuliani noted. Another Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow added: "The president has issued no order or direction to the Department of Justice on this."

Subsequently the Sessions tweet, the president tweeted again, 2 hours later, that Manafort was being treated worse than infamous gangster Al Capone.

"Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob dominate, killer and 'Public Enemy Number Ane,' or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing?" Trump said. "Where is the Russian Collusion?"

Manafort has been in jail in Virginia since his house abort was revoked earlier this summertime when Mueller alleged that he was attempting to tamper with witnesses. He is non, however, in solitary confinement, which is an isolated cell normally used equally a disciplinary tool.

As a high-profile inmate now at a Northern Virginia facility, he is in a unit split up from the general population, so that he can be protected.

In courtroom filings that described the circumstances of Manafort's before solitude at a different facility farther from Washington, D.C., prosecutors described Manafort'south state of affairs equally "a private, self-contained living unit, which is larger than other inmates' units." In it, Manafort has "his own bathroom and shower facility, his own personal telephone, and his own workspace to prepare for trial."

In monitored telephone calls while at the Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Va., Manafort had told others he is being treated like a "VIP," prosecutors said.

Day 2

Rick Gates, a former associate of Paul Manafort, leaves the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., after a February hearing. He is expected to be the government's star witness at the Manafort trial in Virginia. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

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Rick Gates, a former associate of Paul Manafort, leaves the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., after a February hearing. He is expected to be the regime'south star witness at the Manafort trial in Virginia.

Marking Wilson/Getty Images

On Wed, the second day of Manafort'south trial opened with testimony from a political consultant who did work with Manafort in Ukraine, and an FBI agent who worked in counterintelligence, and airtight with a number of men who sold Manafort luxury items like cars and expensive suits.

The nigh shocking moment of the day though, was actually about who may not testify: Rick Gates.

Gates, Manafort'southward former concern partner, has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors; he was considered to be their star witness, equally someone directly involved in Manafort's business dealings. Defence force attorney Thomas Zehnle took aim at Gates in his opening statement Tuesday, saying Gates embezzled coin and was lying to prosecutors to put the blame squarely on Manafort, setting up a credibility battle that seemed sure to culminate in Gates' testimony.

Banana U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye nonetheless, said Wednesday that Gates "may testify, he may not."

A number of reporters ran from the room at that moment, which Gauge T.South. Ellis noted, saying Asonye sent them scurrying like rats from a sinking ship.

Asonye said he didn't have a reason for couching Gates' testimony that style, noting that prosecutors are constantly re-evaluating their witness list, and cautioning anybody still in the room non to read also much into his statement.

That moment came towards the end of the commencement half of testimony Wednesday, where the jury heard from a political consultant named Daniel Rabin, and an FBI agent named Matthew Mikuska.

Prosecutors used Rabin, similarly to how they used political consultant Tad Devine on Tuesday, to make it clear Manafort was the kind of dominate who paid attention to detail. Both Rabin and Devine worked with Manafort over the past decade, in consulting work for the pro-Russia government of Ukraine.

"[Manafort] demanded a lot of people who worked for him," Rabin said. "He was thorough, he was strict."

FBI agent Mikuska was part of the team that executed the search warrant on Manafort'southward condo in Alexandria. During his testimony, more details were revealed about the search: the FBI did not have a "no-knock" warrant, as was previously reported by some outlets, allowing them to break into the property, Mikuska said. They knocked, and when they received no respond, they entered using a key.

Despite the tweetstorm President Trump was rustling upwards online, for the second day in a row and so far, there was no mention of Russian interference in the courtroom.

In that location was, however, an interesting moment betwixt the judge and attorneys, when Judge Ellis asked the prosecution to refrain from using the discussion "oligarch" to describe who was paying Manafort for his Ukrainian lobbying work.

The word, he said, has a negative connotation and could bias jurors. His asking wasn't made in forepart of the jury.

"We're non going to have a case tried where [Manafort] is associated with despicable people, and then he is despicable," Ellis said. "That's not the American mode."

Prosecutors did, however, work once again to paint Manafort every bit a human with expensive sense of taste, who paid for things in unorthodox ways.

A parade of witnesses was brought to the stand — people who sold luxury cars, houses and expensive custom suits — and asked how Manafort paid for the items he bought. They all said international wire transfer, from banks abroad.

"He was the simply 1 who did that," said Maximillian Katzman, of the luxury men's wear boutique Alan Couture.

The witnesses were also asked by prosecutors whether they ever dealt with Rick Gates, and all but one said no.

Th'south testimony promises to be more of the same, with a number of bookkeepers, accountants and tax preparers scheduled to testify. Prosecutors said Wed, that because of the pace they're working on, they await to close their case alee of schedule adjacent calendar week.

Day ane

Activists concur signs — one referencing special counsel Robert Mueller — outside the Alexandria, Va., courthouse as Manafort's trial began this week. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

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Activists hold signs — one referencing special counsel Robert Mueller — outside the Alexandria, Va., courthouse as Manafort's trial began this week.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

The trial'southward opening day, on Tuesday, was a blur: The jury was seated, both sides presented their opening statements and the government'south beginning witness took the stand.

Estimate T.S. Ellis III said earlier the trial began that he wanted the proceedings to wrap in three weeks or less, and Tuesday's proceedings lived up to the Alexandria, Va., courthouse'south reputation equally a "rocket docket."

Manafort'due south trial on bank and tax fraud charges is the first to stem from Mueller'south investigation.

In its opening statement Tuesday, the government portrayed Manafort every bit a man who led a lavish lifestyle and held a disregard for American fiscal law.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye said Manafort made tens of millions of dollars as a political consultant in Ukraine just used offshore vanquish companies and strange bank accounts to avoid paying U.South. taxes on much of the coin.

Manafort used the coin he allegedly shielded from authorities to purchase multi-million-dollar backdrop, antique rugs and luxury cars, Asonye said. In i case, Manafort even purchased a $xv,000 jacket "made from an ostrich."

Asonye said Manafort didn't only lie to the Internal Revenue Service, he also lied to his ain bookkeepers to avoid paying taxes and to banks in an effort to authorize for loans he wouldn't otherwise have been canonical for.

"All of this was willful," Asonye said. "Paul Manafort knew nearly the law."

Manafort's lawyers presented a very different movie.

Defense attorney Thomas Zehnle focused much of his opening argument on the question of trust, especially the trust that Manafort placed in his erstwhile correct-hand man, Rick Gates.

Gates and Manafort worked closely together for years, including in Ukraine.

Gates was indicted the aforementioned fourth dimension as Manafort and initially fought the charges. But he pleaded guilty in February and has been cooperating with the special counsel's function. He is expected to be the authorities's star witness.

Zehnle placed the arraign for Manafort's current troubles on Gates' shoulders.

"We're primarily here considering of 1 man — Rick Gates," Zehnle said.

He said Gates took advantage of his position overseeing day-to-day operations of Manafort'southward consulting firm. He accused him of embezzling millions of dollars and manipulating transactions to "line his own pockets."

Gates' guilty plea, in Zehnle's telling, is nix more than an attempt past Gates to salve his own skin.

The authorities's first witness on Tuesday was Tad Devine, a political consultant who has done work for the presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders and Democratic nominees Al Gore and John Kerry. Devine too worked closely with Manafort on consulting work in Ukraine.

Under government questioning, Devine described Manafort as very much the hands-on boss in their Ukraine work, testifying that "Paul was in accuse" of concern operations.

Under cross-test, Devine also portrayed Manafort equally a skilled political operator and a difficult worker.

"It was a tremendous amount of work, and I accept to say, Paul worked harder than anyone," Devine said. "There were emails sometimes throughout the night."

In releasing the jurors on Tuesday, Ellis warned them confronting watching the news or talking to family about the instance, even though at that place was certain to be "intense marvel" about it. He also told them not to read, scout or listen to any news reports about the trial.

He urged them, in closing, to "keep an open mind."

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Source: https://www.npr.org/2018/08/01/634439965/on-manafort-trial-day-two-a-central-question-how-much-power-did-rick-gates-wield

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