By Christopher “Flood the Drummer®” Norris
10.30.17: Nation – (Politics): The 31-page indictment against Mr. Paul Manafort, Jr., and Mr. Richard W. Gates III, which was unsealed on Monday, is rich in detail. It provides insight into the complex money laundering and tax fraud scheme that the two men embarked on beginning in 2006, when they were employed by the Government of Ukraine as lobbyist and sought to evade paying taxes on the millions of dollars they received.
“In furtherance of the scheme,” the indictment reads, “Manafort and Gates concealed from the United States their work as agents of, and millions of dollars from, Ukraine, its political parties and leaders.”
In the indictment, Mr. Robert S. Mueller, the special counsel, has constructed a compelling case of dishonesty and fraud. But what he didn’t assert – and what many were likely looking for – was collusion with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election in favor of Mr. Donald J. Trump. In fact, neither Mr. Trump nor his presidential campaign earned mentions in the indictment.
But the above fact doesn’t put Mr. Trump in the clear. Because also on Monday, the public learned that 30-year-old Mr. George Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy advisor for the Trump campaign, plead guilty earlier this month to making false statements to the F.B.I.
Mr. Papadopoulos on January 27th lied to the F.B.I when he said that his outreach to an overseas professor who had substantial connections to Russian government officials occurred before being named a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign.
“In truth and in fact, however, defendant Papadopoulos,” the statement of offense reads, “learned he would be an advisor to the Campaign in early March and met the professor on or about March 14th, 2016; the professor only took interest in defendant Papadopoulos because of his status with the Campaign.”
Several legal experts on Monday suggested that while the indictment against Mr. Manafort and Mr. Gates are significant, it’s Mr. Papadopoulos’ plea, and the potential of him as a witness, that constitutes bombshell news and lends validity to the allegations of collusion with Russia. Indeed, Mr. Papadopoulos acknowledged that he communicated with the professor and a Russian woman with the intent of setting up a meeting between the Trump campaign and Russian government officials.
Regarding the news of Mr. Papadopoulos readiness to testify about efforts to obtain opposition research from Russian officials, Mr. Samuel Buell, a law professor at Duke University who as a federal prosecutor led the Justice Department’s prosecution of Enron Corporation, told Politico:
“If this isn’t evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians to help Trump secure the White House, it is hard to see what is. Why isn’t this a bombshell?”
Former assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Lightfoot said “this guilty plea by Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos potentially has more importance than the Manafort-Gates indictment in making the direct connect between Trump campaign.”
Also speaking to Politico, Mr. Peter Zeidenberg, who once served as an assistant special counsel, believes the “real story here is Papadopoulos.”
“He is the key. He is going to take down multiple campaign officials and advisers.”
And Mr. Robert Weisberg, a professor at Stanford Law School, remarked that he’s more interested in the guilty plea.
“Whatever Papadopoulos lied about is more likely to be directly connected to the campaign than what is now being charged against the others.”
The White House’s press secretary on Monday downplayed Mr. Papadopoulos’ role in the campaign, characterizing him as a mere volunteer.
Thanks for reading! Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® and I’m Drumming for Justice!™
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