05-05-2018, 05:13 PM
I'd expect the federal judge to grill the federal prosecutors big time in a case of this magnitude; seen it a lot.
Still, Judge Ellis made some comments that were unusually political and harsh. Then again, the context of the case against Manafort is wholly unique as well.
I'm gonna wait and see how the judge rules once he sees the redacted portions of the scope authorization document.
I suspect Manafort will fail in his bid to get the charges dropped and the judge will rule that there is, in fact, an apparent connection between some of the financial fraud and bank laundering charges against Manafort and the broader Russia interference investigation.
However, even if the judge rules that they are not sufficiently connected, those very serious charges against Manafort won't be dropped. The judge will instead likely sever them from Mueller's case and order them to be transferred to a more appropriate court.
Still, Judge Ellis made some comments that were unusually political and harsh. Then again, the context of the case against Manafort is wholly unique as well.
I'm gonna wait and see how the judge rules once he sees the redacted portions of the scope authorization document.
I suspect Manafort will fail in his bid to get the charges dropped and the judge will rule that there is, in fact, an apparent connection between some of the financial fraud and bank laundering charges against Manafort and the broader Russia interference investigation.
However, even if the judge rules that they are not sufficiently connected, those very serious charges against Manafort won't be dropped. The judge will instead likely sever them from Mueller's case and order them to be transferred to a more appropriate court.