Chicago Banker Convicted of Paying Paul Manafort Bribes to Influence Trump

[babylonsister]

July 13, 2021
Chicago Banker Convicted of Paying Paul Manafort Bribes to Influence Trump
Russ Choma


A federal jury in Manhattan convicted Chicago banker Stephen Calk of bribing Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort by approving risky loans for Manafort in exchange for his assistance in getting Calk an administration job.

Manafort oversaw Trump’s campaign from June to August 2016, stepping down after it was revealed he may have received off-the-books payments from a deposed Ukrainian president with close ties to Russia. But after being bounced from that position, Manafort remained on friendly terms with many Trump campaign officials—and maintained influence within Trump circles. Throughout the campaign, Manafort was struggling financially, but despite being arguably a bad risk, he was able to secure $16 million in loans from The Federal Savings Bank, which Calk ran. Prosecutors showed there was a quid pro quo: Manafort got those loans and lobbied Trump transition officials, including Anthony Scaramucci, to find Calk a job in the Trump administration.

Calk’s attorneys argued that he had done nothing wrong and that it was the wheeling-and-dealing Manafort who had committed the crimes by lying to Calk’s bank about his finances. But Calk was convicted on one count of bribery and a related conspiracy charge. He faces up to 35 years in federal prison. Manafort himself was convicted on a number of money laundering and tax fraud charges in 2018. A jury hung on the question of whether he had committed bank fraud during his interactions with The Federal Savings Bank. Trump pardoned Manafort shortly before leaving office.

more...

https://www.motherjones.com/mojo-wire/2021/07/paul-manafort-stephen-calk-bribes-donald-trump/

[Champp]

1. There's no bottom to Republican scumbaggery

The Republican-Russian brand is solid scum.

[keithsw]

2. This is good for us

This guy, who will want a smaller sentence could flip on Manafort, who in turn will have to flip on Trump to keep from going back to prison