WTH? What is Mueller doing glad-handing with Ukrainian strongman and Paul Manafort client, Viktor Yanukovych?
The picture is from a Facebook post from the Ukrainian Embassy in the U.S.
The meeting took place in Kyiv. The European Pressphoto Agency snapped a picture of them shaking hands, with Mueller wearing his trademark black suit and muted tie, and Yanukovych grinning.
Under Mueller’s investigation, all that is needed to make you a target is to show that you had some dealing with a random Russian at any time about anything and you are in the crosshairs.
Gates admitted that he lied and embezzled and Manafort knows he cheated on his wife. - he stole the money to finance his "separate secret life." Not exactly an honest man!
THE TRIAL!
Defense: "Do you recall when you first started giving false and misleading information to the Office of the Special Counsel?"
Gates avoids directly answering the question - indicating how he was coached by the Special Counsel. pic.twitter.com/TQaX7r3Los
Now, this part was a bit muddled, but Manafort's lawyer is getting to the point that he thinks Gates embezzled $350,000 from a Cyproit account for an investment deal.
Gates now "can't recall" telling the Special Counsel about unauthorized transactions from the Cyproit accounts. He can't pick out the transactions he told the Special Counsel were authorized. But he had a perfect memory when questioned by the Special Counsel during direct.
Defense: Did you perpetrate a scheme to take money from offshore accounts? Gates: "It wasn't a scheme. I just added expense numbers to the reports." The jury must have been rolling their eyes at this point.
Manafort's lawyer brings up how Gates would falsify expense reports to pay off his AmEx.
Defense: "That included substantial personal expenditures?" Gates avoids answering yet again: "Yes, that's possible."
Defense: Was that the $125K you stole from a SunTrust account?
Gates: "I don't know what you're referring to."
Did the Special Counsel question you about closing the SunTrust account? Gates: "I don't recall"
Manafort's lawyer has the notes from the Special Counsel's interviews with Gates. It seems like Weissmann caught Gates in another lie, this time about the SunTrust account. Conveniently, Gates can't recall being confronted by Weissmann.
Now Gates is asked if he orchestrated a scheme to steal from Trump's inaugural committee. He can't recall what he told the Special Counsel about that, either.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills - Gates keeps contradicting himself. Here he switches from "I don't recall" to "it's possible" when asked about submitting expenses to the inaugural committee.
Gates denies embezzling money to pay for his "secret life" that was mentioned in the bench discussion at the start of this thread. Another lie.
Rick Gates was helping run a Ponzi scheme - and falsifying financial documents - separate from his work with Manafort?
The Special Counsel confronted Gates with potential fraud charges in that business venture.. all of which would go away if he cooperated.
Yet more crimes/financial violations. It goes on and on. This time for insider trading with a company called "ID Watchdog" on the eve of an IPO.
Manafort's lawyers moves on to Gates' false tax returns. Gates can't recall being confronted with leaving off "well over $1 million" on his amended return. He can't recall if it was a large number. He can't recall "what it related to."
This is interesting.
Gates is asked about being interviewed about his time with the Trump campaign. The Special Counsel objects. The next 6 pages are sealed. No idea what happened. (But the next line of questioning has to do with 2010 wire transfers)
Here we see exactly how Gates embezzled money. In this example, Gates falsified multiple documents to steal $65,000 from Manafort.
Next: how Gates stole $120,000 by creating "a false and phony invoice"
Defense: Why won't you say "embezzlement"?
Gates: What difference does it make?
Meanwhile, the Special Counsel pipes up and gets smacked down. Special Counsel: "Judge, could we have questions and answers as opposed to a discussion here?" Judge: "I don't see that as an objection. I'll overrule it."
This line of questioning is important - there is no paper trial. It's a question of whether the jury believes Gates. "This jury is supposed to just believe you; is that correct?" "Yes, they are."
Now Manafort's lawyer goes for blood.
Defense: After all the lies you told and fraud you've committed, you expect this jury to believe you?
Gates: Yes.
Defense: Can you return the money you stole from Manafort?
Gates: No, I cannot. Defense: So you're really not taking responsibility, are you? Gates: On that subject, no.
Last set of questioning before the day wrapped up. Gates: "Mr. Manafort was very good about knowing where the money is and knowing where to spend it." Judge Ellis: "Well, he missed the amounts of money you stole from him, though, didn't he?"
I believe this answer is what is called "non-responsive."
This guy has ZERO credibility.
The picture is from a Facebook post from the Ukrainian Embassy in the U.S.
The meeting took place in Kyiv. The European Pressphoto Agency snapped a picture of them shaking hands, with Mueller wearing his trademark black suit and muted tie, and Yanukovych grinning.
Under Mueller’s investigation, all that is needed to make you a target is to show that you had some dealing with a random Russian at any time about anything and you are in the crosshairs.
Gates admitted that he lied and embezzled and Manafort knows he cheated on his wife. - he stole the money to finance his "separate secret life." Not exactly an honest man!
THE TRIAL!
Defense: "Do you recall when you first started giving false and misleading information to the Office of the Special Counsel?"
Gates avoids directly answering the question - indicating how he was coached by the Special Counsel. pic.twitter.com/TQaX7r3Los
Now, this part was a bit muddled, but Manafort's lawyer is getting to the point that he thinks Gates embezzled $350,000 from a Cyproit account for an investment deal.
Gates now "can't recall" telling the Special Counsel about unauthorized transactions from the Cyproit accounts. He can't pick out the transactions he told the Special Counsel were authorized. But he had a perfect memory when questioned by the Special Counsel during direct.
Defense: Did you perpetrate a scheme to take money from offshore accounts? Gates: "It wasn't a scheme. I just added expense numbers to the reports." The jury must have been rolling their eyes at this point.
Manafort's lawyer brings up how Gates would falsify expense reports to pay off his AmEx.
Defense: "That included substantial personal expenditures?" Gates avoids answering yet again: "Yes, that's possible."
Defense: Was that the $125K you stole from a SunTrust account?
Gates: "I don't know what you're referring to."
Did the Special Counsel question you about closing the SunTrust account? Gates: "I don't recall"
Manafort's lawyer has the notes from the Special Counsel's interviews with Gates. It seems like Weissmann caught Gates in another lie, this time about the SunTrust account. Conveniently, Gates can't recall being confronted by Weissmann.
Now Gates is asked if he orchestrated a scheme to steal from Trump's inaugural committee. He can't recall what he told the Special Counsel about that, either.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills - Gates keeps contradicting himself. Here he switches from "I don't recall" to "it's possible" when asked about submitting expenses to the inaugural committee.
Gates denies embezzling money to pay for his "secret life" that was mentioned in the bench discussion at the start of this thread. Another lie.
Rick Gates was helping run a Ponzi scheme - and falsifying financial documents - separate from his work with Manafort?
The Special Counsel confronted Gates with potential fraud charges in that business venture.. all of which would go away if he cooperated.
Yet more crimes/financial violations. It goes on and on. This time for insider trading with a company called "ID Watchdog" on the eve of an IPO.
Manafort's lawyers moves on to Gates' false tax returns. Gates can't recall being confronted with leaving off "well over $1 million" on his amended return. He can't recall if it was a large number. He can't recall "what it related to."
This is interesting.
Gates is asked about being interviewed about his time with the Trump campaign. The Special Counsel objects. The next 6 pages are sealed. No idea what happened. (But the next line of questioning has to do with 2010 wire transfers)
Here we see exactly how Gates embezzled money. In this example, Gates falsified multiple documents to steal $65,000 from Manafort.
Next: how Gates stole $120,000 by creating "a false and phony invoice"
Defense: Why won't you say "embezzlement"?
Gates: What difference does it make?
Meanwhile, the Special Counsel pipes up and gets smacked down. Special Counsel: "Judge, could we have questions and answers as opposed to a discussion here?" Judge: "I don't see that as an objection. I'll overrule it."
This line of questioning is important - there is no paper trial. It's a question of whether the jury believes Gates. "This jury is supposed to just believe you; is that correct?" "Yes, they are."
Now Manafort's lawyer goes for blood.
Defense: After all the lies you told and fraud you've committed, you expect this jury to believe you?
Gates: Yes.
Defense: Can you return the money you stole from Manafort?
Gates: No, I cannot. Defense: So you're really not taking responsibility, are you? Gates: On that subject, no.
Last set of questioning before the day wrapped up. Gates: "Mr. Manafort was very good about knowing where the money is and knowing where to spend it." Judge Ellis: "Well, he missed the amounts of money you stole from him, though, didn't he?"
I believe this answer is what is called "non-responsive."
This guy has ZERO credibility.
