Judge approves Mueller request for immunity for witnesses in Manafort trial
Source: The Hill
A federal judge on Monday approved special counsel Robert Mueller's request to grant immunity to five witnesses so they can testify against former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort.
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis said that he would unseal documents containing the identities of the witnesses, according to Talking Points Memo.
Mueller's team submitted the request for immunity last week, and asked that the identities of the potential witnesses not be revealed because they had not yet been publicly linked to the case.
Manafort is facing multiple charges related to alleged financial crime from work before he joined the Trump campaign. He has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is being held in a Virginia jail ahead of his July 24 trial.
DEVELOPING
Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/398369-judge-approves-mueller-request-for-immunity-for-witnesses-in-manafort
UPDATE:
Ellis ordered the special counsel on Monday to make public a list of about 30 witnesses.
sandensea
(21,630 posts)pecosbob
(7,538 posts)"It must have been that shark what jogged my memory."
sandensea
(21,630 posts)I tell you, as many miscreants begging Mueller for immunity as we're seeing, you'd think he was giving out flu shots.
LiberalArkie
(15,715 posts)kedrys
(7,678 posts)onecaliberal
(32,854 posts)dalton99a
(81,485 posts)Kablooie
(18,634 posts)and since he refuses to flip it indicates to me that he fully expects a pardon once he is sentenced, or even before.
The only other possibility that I can see is that the Russian mafia is more threatening to him than life in prison.
LudwigPastorius
(9,139 posts)...and, that will be more likely the tighter Mueller closes the vise on his balls.
matt819
(10,749 posts)I wonder whether the identity of these witnesses will suggest that they might also be available as witnesses for a state trial somewhere, putting the issue of a pardon aside for the moment?
I've read that the presidential pardon gives a president pretty much free rein to pardon as he pleases. But I wonder if there are moves pending that would put the brakes on that if the pardon is promised prior to trial.
Kablooie
(18,634 posts)So any changes wouldn't affect the original one.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)for more people than just Manifort himself. Expect tshere's usually more than one way to make cases.
As for the Russian Mafia, or just some ruthless oligarch he's crossed, that seems a reasonable explanation in itself. It's called a kleptocracy for a reason -- they're all extremely big-time criminals.
pecosbob
(7,538 posts)even though the special prosecutor requested that this not be done? Stand by for the character assassination maelstrom to begin...this should be good, since they'll undoubtedly all be Republicans...I'll get popcorn.
Usually the judge will issue some sort of explanation, I believe?
Mrs. Overall
(6,839 posts)safeinOhio
(32,675 posts)it'll be a public trial..
janx
(24,128 posts)In addition, Ellis is expected to rule Monday on Manafort's request to delay the trial, slated to start this week
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/23/politics/manafort-witnesses-immunity/index.html
Stallion
(6,474 posts)a Defendant has a right to face witnesses against him and the jury gets to decide the credibility of every witness
Mrs. Overall
(6,839 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Mueller knows the identities will have to be revealed at a certain point in time.
Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)10...9...8...7...
Gothmog
(145,191 posts)Mrs. Overall
(6,839 posts)mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)Wwcd
(6,288 posts)Mueller has already read the "Dear TAD" Emails from Paul.
Shit is about to hit & good fking riddance to those two Russian scabs.
Roland99
(53,342 posts)SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)ScratchCat
(1,988 posts)people at the financial institutions who "turned a blind eye" to transfers that they were supposed to report. Because they technically violated federal banking laws, they would be admitting to crimes and are in need of immunity. This isn't going to be a bunch of secret witnesses with (R)'s next to their names. Given that this is their only connection, they didn't want to name these people with the implication they were materially "involved". They may not even need them.
H2O Man
(73,537 posts)Recommended.
FakeNoose
(32,638 posts)kimbutgar
(21,138 posts)Couldnt watch that Batman movie. Heaths Joker freaked me out looking at him.
bitterross
(4,066 posts)Delmette2.0
(4,165 posts)Hopefully on CSPAN. Does anyone know?