In late July 2016, the FBI began a secret counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign over potential collusion with the Russians. That investigation, which found nothing, is continued by the special counsel, headed by Robert Mueller.
Thus far, no indictments made stemming from the FBI’s investigation, or ongoing special counsel, are related to collusion with the Russians. Instead, the charges have been for lying to the FBI (such as the case of George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn), or tax evasion and money laundering (Paul Manafort and Rick Gates). Isn’t that a sign of a witch hunt? At least one federal judge thinks so.
Thomas Selby Ellis III, a Senior United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, blasted the bank fraud case against Manafort today during court hearings. “You don’t really care about Mr. Manafort’s bank fraud,” Ellis said to Michael Dreeben, the prosecutor in the case against Manafort. What you really care about is what information Mr. Manafort could give you that would reflect on Mr. Trump or lead to his prosecution or impeachment.”
Ellis repeated his suspicions regarding the motives of the prosecution numerous times throughout the hour-long hearing.
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According to the New York Daily News:
Manafort’s lawyers argued at the hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, that the charges are far afield from Mueller’s mandate to investigate Russian election interference and whether anyone in the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin.
The Virginia indictment alleges Manafort hid tens of millions of dollars he earned advising pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine from the Internal Revenue Service, all occurring years before Donald Trump ran for president.
Manafort has pleaded not guilty.
Manafort’s attorneys had initially asked U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to throw out all charges against Manafort, arguing that Mueller had exceeded his authority by bringing charges unrelated to Russian election interference.
It’s good news that at least one judge sees the charges against Manafort for what they are – stemming from a witch hunt aimed at damaging Donald Trump. If there were a special counsel investigating every associate of Hillary Clinton, you can bet they’d turn up dirt too – and a heck of a lot more of it.
Do you agree that the charges against Manafort are designed to hurt President Trump? Share your thoughts with us below!
