Effort to slam Paul Manafort's accuser falls flat

[iluvtennis]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/08/opinions/rick-gates-vs-paul-manafort-coates/index.html

In the history of criminal trials, no prosecutor has ever had the privilege of calling Mother Teresa as a witness. The existence of a perfect witness, void of credibility issues, or a proverbial skeleton in his or her closet is a pure fantasy.

Yet, the defense counsel in Paul Manafort's trial seems resolute in its efforts to discredit Rick Gates by painting him as an adulterous, immoral, unethical and corrupt liar in the hopes that the jury's disdain for his character will fatally undermine his credibility as a testifying witness. Good luck.

Do you know who testifies against pimps? Prostitutes. Do you know who testifies against drug dealers? Drug users. Do you know who testifies against conspirators? Their co-conspirators. In the imperfect contest of credibility, juries don't hear from the criminally pristine, they hear from two evils and choose to believe the lesser. In this case, the jury will choose between the admitted liar and the accused one.

Ever since Rick Gates entered into a plea agreement and formally agreed to cooperate with the Robert Mueller-led criminal probe into possible collusion between members of the Trump presidential campaign and Russia, the public has anticipated his testimony. They imagined the dramatic courtroom scene that would unfold as Manafort's right-hand man turned on him in the interests of self-preservation.

continued at link...

Editor's note: Laura Coates is a CNN legal analyst. She is a former assistant US attorney for the District of Columbia and trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. She is the host of "The Laura Coates Show" on SiriusXM. Follow her @thelauracoates.

[Jarqui]

1. They have too much other evidence

Too many others and too many documents that corroborate what Gates was saying.

There are actual emails written by Manafort that incriminate him - like to his son-in-law to present that they're living in one of his properties rather than it being rented to help him defraud a bank.

Manafort must be counting on a pardon from Trump

[Leghorn21]

2. - and this just in, luv!

Prosecutors will call 4-5 witnesses tomorrow including
Dennis Raico and James Brennan, both of whom were
granted immunity for testimony. Treasury's Financial
Crimes Enforcement Network analyst Paula Liss may also
be called back to provide more testimony.
4:42 PM - Aug 9, 2018

Link to tweet

These two also have immunity - Donna Duggan, Conor O'Brien -

At any rate, tomorrow should be veddddy interesting!!

[empedocles]

3. Coates article perspective

very competent.

My guess if Manafort does not take the stand.

[gratuitous]

4. It's about the only thing Manafort's attorneys can do: Attack the witnesses

Heaven knows the documentary evidence is heavily stacked against Manafort. Turns out his cunning financial maneuvers weren't quite cunning enough. The only thing Manafort has left is to impugn the witness who stole thousands from him while Manafort was stealing millions.

[kacekwl]

5. They were partners so ipso facto

if one is a cheating liar criminal then you know.

[UTUSN]

6. K&R