The Paul Manafort trial is in full swing, and may prove to be the first chance for special counsel Robert Mueller to prove he can secure a conviction. Things aren’t looking bad for Mueller so far, particularly since former Manafort aide Rick Gates has come out to say that he helped Manafort break the law.
The former Trump campaign manager stands accused of a number of crimes, including money laundering, failure to file reports of financial accounts overseas and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Most of this has to do with work he did for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russia candidate.
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For fans of the theory that President Donald Trump is somehow a puppet of the Kremlin, Mr. Yanukovych figures heavily. In terms of the satellite regimes Vladimir Putin has tried to set up in post-Soviet states, Yanukovych’s was one of the most transparent. Before he was deposed as part of the Ukrainian revolution in 2014 he was as reliable a pro-Russia politician as any.
It’s ironic, then, that Robert Mueller is the individual whose special counsel investigation is tackling the case:
Robert Mueller is prosecuting Manfort for doing work in Ukraine for Viktor Yanukovych back in 2013
Here is Robert Mueller hanging out in Ukraine with Viktor Yanukovych back in 2013
What is going on here? pic.twitter.com/ZPey2k72UE
— Jack Posobiec ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@JackPosobiec) August 6, 2018
Regardless of how you feel about Mr. Posobiec and his promotion of various conspiracy theories, the point still bears making: Mueller worked with Yanukovych during his time as director of the FBI. – READ MORE
[divider][/divider]After jurors were dismissed, Judge T.S. Ellis scolded one of Mueller’s prosecutors and a 10-minute courtroom spat ensued.
Via Fox News: U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III specifically pushed Andres on why the prosecution was moving slowly with Rick Gates – the former Manafort business partner who testified on Monday – and specifically to describe the link between wealthy Ukrainian politicos and Manafort. Ellis argued that the connection was not the basis of the case.
“What matters are the allegations that he made money from them and didn’t report it,” Ellis said. “You don’t need to throw mud at these people.”
Ellis again compared the Ukrainians in question to American billionaires and “Mr. Koch and Mr. Soros” as political contributors.
“I don’t know why you keep bringing (up) these people,” Andres said, referring to the Ukrainians. “These people are not like any Americans. These people are oligarchs and that means they control a segment of the economy based on the governments allowing them to do that.”’
“These are not really political contributions,” he continued. “They are self-serving payments with respect to what oligarchs do.”
“That makes it even clearer to me that it doesn’t have anything to do with the allegations in this case,” Ellis responded. “It throws dirt on these people. They may deserve it. I don’t know – and I don’t care.”
At another point in the exchange Andres could be heard challenging Ellis on a technicality. “Respectively, judge, that is not what the law is,” Andres responded bluntly at one point.
The most heated moment of the debate, however, took place when Ellis got perturbed by Andres not looking up at him while speaking.
“Look at me! Don’t look down,” Ellis demanded.
Then, when Andres responded that he was looking at a relevant document, the exchange grew testier.
“You looked down as if to say ‘that’s B.S.!’” Ellis said. “I’m up here!”
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