05-15-2018, 09:37 PM
Manafort loses bid to have charges dropped in Washington
In a blow to Manafort’s defense, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that Mueller’s prosecution of the longtime political consultant on charges of money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent for Ukraine was “squarely” within the authority that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein granted to Mueller last May.
“The indictment falls squarely within that portion of the authority granted to the Special Counsel that Manafort finds unobjectionable: the order to investigate ‘any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign,’” Jackson wrote.
“Manafort was, at one time, not merely ‘associated with,’ but the chairman of, the Presidential campaign, and his work on behalf of the Russia-backed Ukrainian political party and connections to other Russian figures are matters of public record,” the judge added in her 37-page ruling. “It was logical and appropriate for investigators tasked with the investigation of ‘any links’ between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign to direct their attention to him.”
Citing press reports that Manafort filed with the court discussing his activities abroad, Jackson suggested it would have been malpractice for Mueller not to have investigated him.
Judge Jackson's decision in Washington court may or may not impact Judge Ellis's forthcoming decision in Virginia court regarding a similar Manafort claim that Mueller's special prosecutors have overreached their authority. Judge Ellis has requested an unredacted version of the scope memo from Deputy AG Rosenstein to Mueller. The parties will be back in Virginia court on Friday.
Refs:
http://abc7.com/judge-throws-out-manafor...r/3479074/
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/1...ent-590215
In a blow to Manafort’s defense, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that Mueller’s prosecution of the longtime political consultant on charges of money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent for Ukraine was “squarely” within the authority that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein granted to Mueller last May.
“The indictment falls squarely within that portion of the authority granted to the Special Counsel that Manafort finds unobjectionable: the order to investigate ‘any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign,’” Jackson wrote.
“Manafort was, at one time, not merely ‘associated with,’ but the chairman of, the Presidential campaign, and his work on behalf of the Russia-backed Ukrainian political party and connections to other Russian figures are matters of public record,” the judge added in her 37-page ruling. “It was logical and appropriate for investigators tasked with the investigation of ‘any links’ between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign to direct their attention to him.”
Citing press reports that Manafort filed with the court discussing his activities abroad, Jackson suggested it would have been malpractice for Mueller not to have investigated him.
Judge Jackson's decision in Washington court may or may not impact Judge Ellis's forthcoming decision in Virginia court regarding a similar Manafort claim that Mueller's special prosecutors have overreached their authority. Judge Ellis has requested an unredacted version of the scope memo from Deputy AG Rosenstein to Mueller. The parties will be back in Virginia court on Friday.
Refs:
http://abc7.com/judge-throws-out-manafor...r/3479074/
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/1...ent-590215