Robert Mueller Not-So-Subtly Nudges D.C. Judge to Throw the Book at Paul Manafort

[DonViejo]

by Ronn Blitzer | 10:58 am, March 11th, 2019

Special Counsel Robert Mueller‘s office submitted a filing in Washington, D.C. federal court on Monday ahead of Paul Manafort‘s sentencing for his money laundering case. Manafort pleaded guilty in D.C. after a jury found him guilty in a related case in the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA). It seems pretty clear Mueller wants the former Trump campaign chair to face a tougher punishment than he just received in the EDVA case.

In an “I’m-just-gonna-leave-this-here” move, Mueller’s prosecutors Andrew Weissmann, Jeannie Rhee, and Greg Andres filed a one-paragraph status report with D.C. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, saying:

The United States of America, by and through Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III, files this status report to apprise the Court of a recent development in United States v. Paul J. Manafort, Jr., No. 1:18-cr-83 (E.D. Va.) that is pertinent to this Court’s upcoming sentencing decision. Attached to this status report as Exhibit A is the transcript from the sentencing hearing on March 7, 2019.

Mueller’s team then attaches the 96-page transcript of Manafort’s sentencing hearing, where Judge T.S. Ellis III went far below the sentencing guidelines, giving Manafort a punishment of just 47 months for his tax and bank fraud case.

The Special Counsel’s Office prosecutors did not provide any argument or request in their filing, simply stating that Manafort’s sentencing in the EDVA case is “pertinent” to Judge Jackson’s sentencing decision, which is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

more
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/robert-mueller-not-so-subtly-nudges-d-c-judge-to-throw-the-book-at-paul-manafort/

[ffr]

1. Hint. Hint. 10 years, consecutive.

Manifort did so knowingly betray and conspire against the United States of America.

Make it so.

[onetexan]

12. Agree, that was the first thing that came to mind

Once the shock of the Ellis sentencing wore off. I hope this other judge wont let this abuse of power get this traitor get off easy and ensure the sentences are consecutive, not concurrent.

[dalton99a]

2. "Dispense justice. Don't be like that asshole"

[MyOwnPeace]

3. There 'ya go!

Love the "Cliff Notes!"

[Princess Turandot]

4. I'm sure she'll like the part where Ellis tells Manafort's lawyer to come back to him..

..if they find any case law that would permit him to instruct Judge Jackson on how she must sentence Manafort in her own court.

[dalton99a]

5. Yep

[Mr.Bill]

8. That actually sounds to me

like sarcasm on Ellis' part. Like sure, Mr. lawyer, please come tell me if you find out something I don't know, as if I haven't ever had that issue come up in my career as a judge.

[DirtEdonE]

16. "she" this and "her" that -

he wouldn't even speak her name.

I guaranty this asshole ellis says Democrat Party.

[lagomorph777]

21. Ellis probably pronounces "Democratic" as "Libtard"

And his name will forever be pronounced as "Trumpanzee"

[DirtEdonE]

22. ellis disgraced is tenure, his legacy

and the judiciary not only in America but the judicial tenets of all humanity.

ellis was a judicial sleeper cell just waiting for the day when he would be called on to act.

His name will go down in infamy as a lackey for a traitor.

[sprinkleeninow]

23. Nooo.... Yeah? Where am I???

[FakeNoose]

6. I believe Mueller's team knew all along that Judge Ellis would be lenient

That was why Manafort's lawyers didn't want to change the venue, they wanted to stick with Ellis hearing their case.

[durablend]

17. All part of the plan

If/when Judge Jackson throws the book at him they're going to go all out bleating "ACTIVIST OBAMA JUDGES OUT FOR BLOOD!!!!!"

[elleng]

7. 'In case you missed the news, your honor!'

[onenote]

9. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar -- there is nothing signficant about Mueller's filing

This is a report that Mueller's team essentially is required to make to the DC Court updating the record to reflect the E.D.VA sentencing hearing.

It is a one paragraph statement that doesn't urge, subtly or otherwise, any particular outcome.

The author of the piece in lawandcrime is projecting what he wants he to be the case based on absolutely nothing.

[KPN]

15. I agree. And we shouldn't read anything more into it.

Haven’t we already been disappointed enough?

[watoos]

10. I predicted Ellis' sentence, not that low though,

I predict the next judge will give Manafort 6 years. I just hope that it is in addition to his 47 months.

There's a lot of pressure being put on this judge. Manafort is in a cushy prison right now, I'm thinking he gets moved to a prison not quite so nice. Oh yeah, fucking traitor.

[TeamPooka]

20. long term he will be a minimum security prison. he's a white collar criminal

[Honeycombe8]

11. Just an FYI filing.

Could be just the standard practice for him. But I think it may have been good that he didn't make an argument to the Judge, since that may have irritated the Judge. It could have backfired. Better just to let the Judge have easy access to the proceedings for his own determination. If the Judge thinks a harsher sentence is called for, he has the ammunition for it. If he's not so inclined, an argument wouldn't persuade him, anyway, and he probably won't read the transcript.

[Hekate]

14. Good for Mueller. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't it Judge Berman who said Manafort has no redeeming...

...qualities, or words to that effect?

"Blameless life" my ass.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. Mueller's move means Judge now officially must take note of 96 pages Manafort's sentencing. . . . nt

[cp]

19. "Otherwise blameless life" my ass!

Read this most excellent article about what's he's done to Ukraine:
https://progressive.org/magazine/paul-manafort-in-ukraine-oswald-rachinsky/

[Cha]

24. WoW! Thank You, Robert S Mueller III!

Mahalo, Don

[The Wizard]

25. Let's not kid ourselves

The pardon is ready and waiting to be signed. Trump unchained will drag this country into the Third World. The United States is a failure because we are an ignorant people by design.

[Firestorm49]

26. Bernie Madoff got 150 years in the slammer for his financial crimes.