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The Judge Who Let Manafort Off Easy With 47 Months

It is striking that a judge just sentenced Paul Manafort, a major target of the Mueller investigation, to only 47 months in prison. The Sentencing Guidelines justified a sentence well above fifteen years. It was all-important that Manafort, who had been the head of the Trump presidential campaign, receive a strong sentence.

This was partly for the general reason in sentencing, to send the message to potential malefactors of the consequences. But, it was also needed to persuade Manafort to tell Mueller (and, eventually, in some forum, the public) the truth about President Trump and Russia.

Instead, this weak sentence sends these kind of messages of a conservative judge: it is not so bad to use Republican connections to cash in with Putin’s allies; Trump’s campaign manager is worthy of much, much more respect than in the Sentencing Guidelines; Mueller’s quest for the Russia connection deserves little help, and some messages.

Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis was nominated to the bench in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan, who of course favored very conservative picks. Before then, he had worked since 1970 for Hunton and Williams, a very well known, quite conservative, Richmond firm.

President Reagan nominated Judge Ellis to the Eastern District of Virginia. Presidents have a special reason to want to stack that particular court with strong conservatives. The Pentagon and the CIA are in that district. There is a great desire among conservatives to stack that district court to handle the cases that concern national security brought in that district, including espionage cases.

Take a comparison of the Manafort case with another prosecution of a political figure, a black Democratic Congressman from a black district in Louisiana named William J. Jefferson. (I was a peripheral observer of that case. The FBI had raided Jefferson’s Congressional office and carried off his computer hard drive. The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the violation of Congressional independence by that raid, and I was the principal witness (because I knew the established limits on prosecution tactics as a former House General Counsel and I was now a professor.))

Jefferson’s case was basically bribery. It was nationally famous because agents raiding his house found cash in the freezer.

Manafort may have gotten off easy with four years, but Ellis threw the book at Jefferson. In 2009 Ellis sentenced Jefferson to 13 years, the longest sentence of any Congressman to that date. (After further twists and turns Ellis let off Jefferson in December 2017 for five years time served.) It seems that while Judge Ellis can sympathize with Manafort, the Republican presidential campaign manager, he did not sympathize with Jefferson.

Everything now depends on the sentence Manafort receives in his other case, and whether it is consecutive or concurrent. Imagine the relief for Trump if it is a sentence no longer than 47 months and it runs concurrently. If Manafort had gotten (or still gets) a sentence of more than 15 years, Trump would face the problem of pardoning Manafort to prevent him from experiencing great pressure to cooperate with Mueller.

The press and public have been waiting for the first use of the pardon power as a major statement about Trump.

Now, Trump might just get off and not need to display the pardon weapon. Trump should say "Thank you, Judge Ellis."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlestiefer/2019/03/07/the-judge-who-let-manafort-off-easy-with-47-months-is-an-arch-conservative/#4f63122b5256

So you feel that outright bribery of an elected Congressman, successfully thwarting the will of the people with blatant corruption is worse than tax evasion?
Because that’s what Manafort plead guilty to: tax evasion. It had nothing to do with Mueller or RUSSIANCOLLUSIONZOMG!!!! Both men received similar sentences, but Jefferson’s crime seemed more grievous to our union than cheating on taxes.

Oh and make no mistake, if Manafort actually had something on Trump, he would be serving NO time as Mueller’s Target was always the POTUS, whether or not he did anything illegal.

Quigley says

So you feel

Much thanks for proving beyond any shadow of a doubt my comments from the other day.

Comment #10. Thread - https://patrick.net/post/1322853/2019-03-05-does-social-status-still-matter-at-a-certain-age

The thing is the Judges that are willing to sign off on the Corrupt illegal bidding of the Never Trump Sedicious Traitors.
Are the ones that will carry the ramifications for the longest in their careers.
The DOJ, FBI, NSA, CIA hacks and the Muller Mafia Thugs, will go on other jobs where their antics will only benefit them. Their future employers will be happy to hire first Class Creeps like those Sorry Mother Fuckers.

But these Judges, 10 to 20 years down the road when their names come up for a SCOTUS nomination that's when this whole Never Trump episode will come into light.
They were the ones that put the final rubber stamp on it. That Scotus vetting process will expose so much criminality that there will be no way an Activist Judge, a Judge with Partisan henchman for a corrupt potlical machine to do their bidding will make it to SCOTUS.

More over I think they are starting to fear what Barr does over the next year or so. I bet Strzok, Paige, and the FISA judges end up taking the wrap for everything. From Loreta Lynch Bill Clinton tarmac meeting, to the Hillary Email Server, to the handling of Bengahzi.

That's why Flynn's judge didn't want any of Muellers shit sandwich he was cooking up. Flynn is going to be back before him sometime this month. And I bet he postpones again, because there still isn't any resolution to the direction Nero's thumb goes on the fate of Trump. These guys want a solid Thumbs down and Trump's head under the executioners axe. That's not what they are getting. You don't want to be on the Shitty side of Trump turning it all around.

You watch what happens to Amy Berman Jackson Stone's judge, and the Judge that is going to sentence Manafort next month in the DC court.

Watch how bad she fucks up her career. She wont be able to get a job at a Titty bar as a one eyed bitch that brings ice from the back to fill up the ice bins.

That Cunt will belong in prison before this is over, disbarred and ran out of Washington.

Does Manafort's shorter sentence mean that Trump only has to pardon him a little rather than a lot?

Take this to the bank!

Manfort and Flynn get's exonerated the same way they got convicted. Through a process crime. Which will make their conviction illegal.
I've said there are some Partisan Hack Black Robe Activists that end up in jail.

Ceffer says

Does Manafort's shorter sentence mean that Trump only has to pardon him a little rather than a lot?

Given the unprecedented solitary confinement for a non-violent, first-time criminal after his arrest, along with the 3AM raids, I think a pardon to time served is just fine.

MisterLearnToCode says

I think a pardon to time served is just fine.

Exactly, that is what I was actually expecting plus a public apology on behalf of the citizens of this country delivered by Pence or Potus expressing deep felt remorse for inconveniencing his life and awarding damages as well and full restitution of any items forfeited.

Million dollar tax dodges are prosecuted all the time. I assure you that not only is 3-4 years very normal - sometimes less after sentencing for good behavior - but almost none of them are raided repeatedly at 3AM nor put in solitary confinement as first time white collar non-violent defendants.

Mueller wants most of his data locked away because I'm sure a lot of it deals with the other Ukrainian Oligarch lobbyist, Podesta.

Who has shut down his lobbying office, restated his earnings to be several times their original reported amount, and has hidden away from the Media and Political Life for 2 years now.

We have the best judiciary money can buy - just like our government.

One set of rules for the well off and well connected and a totally different set for the less well off and poorly connected.

Kakistocracy says

We have the best judiciary money can buy - just like our government.

True: Russia is a proper corrupt shithole in this regard.

Kakistocracy says

We have the best judiciary money can buy - just like our government.

One set of rules for the well off and well connected and a totally different set for the less well off and poorly connected.

And a very politicized Prosecutorial System.

Kamala Harris can also speak to that.

The higher the cost of the suit worn to the sentencing, the lower the amount of time spent behind bars.