Paul Manafort is rolling the dice and putting his fate in the hands of the universe.
Just moments ago, the former Trump campaign manager pleaded not guilty to charges of bank fraud brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his ongoing Trump-Russia probe.
Take a look:
#BREAKING: Paul Manafort pleads not guilty to special counsel charges in Virginia https://t.co/sESxyPAO5f pic.twitter.com/1BrpDOYUYG
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 8, 2018
BREAKING: Paul Manafort arrives back at court on tax, bank fraud charges pic.twitter.com/7olL0KxnMI
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 8, 2018
Now a date has been picked for a trial in Virginia. Politico reports:
A judge in Virginia on Thursday set a July 10 trial date for former Donald Trump aide Paul Manafort on charges including bank and tax fraud.
A judge in Washington had previously set a trial date for Sept. 17 on an earlier set of charges from special counsel Robert Mueller. Manafort, who was Trump’s campaign chief in 2016, has said he will fight the charges even though his longtime aide, Rick Gates, is now cooperating with Mueller’s office.
So what’s Manafort’s play here? Is he angling for something by pleading not guilty? Some are speculating that Manafort is playing the stakes for something better – that is, a pardon from President Trump.
BREAKING: Paul Manafort pleads not guilty to Mueller’s second indictment for charges which include “a failure to report foreign bank accounts” and “bank fraud”.
While this was expected, it confirms that Manafort more than likely is relying on a pardon from President Trump.
— Ed Krassenstein 💎 (@EdKrassen) March 8, 2018
That’s probably a smart play, given Manafort’s questionable financial history and close ties to shady foreign regimes.
Had Manafort pleaded guilty, that might have been a sign that he was working with Mueller to get a lighter sentence in exchange for his cooperation against President Trump. But now it looks like he’s bucking Mueller, and fighting back.
What do you think? Is Manafort sending Mueller a message by pleading not guilty? Tell us your thoughts below!
