Ouch.... Manafort 'star witness' Rick Gates gets destroyed by Manafort's lawyers.

Last week there was a thread where Mueller's team was saying they might not call Rick Gates to testify against Paul Manafort, despite the fact that he was supposedly their star witness. (For some reason, the search function on ATS doesn't seem to be working right now.) Turns out the prosecution had a good reason for that.

Mueller’s ‘Star Witness’ Rick Gates Falls Apart During Cross-Examination by Manafort Lawyers – Perjures Himself

It's safe to say the prosecution in Paul Manafort's case is not happy right now. They're still sweeping up pieces of Gates (metaphorically-speaking) after yesterday's testimony. Under cross-examination, Gates tried to claim he'd never lied, then after they asked him why he pleaded guilty to lying he admitted he had. He contradicted himself, tried to claim he couldn't remember various things (like why he pleaded guilty to making a false statement), and apparently perjured himself. Even the judge was pissed off at him.

Oh yeah, and he admitted he embezzled money from Paul Manafort to support his (Gates') mistress.

This exchange sums it up well:

Defense: After all the lies you told and fraud you’ve committed, you expect this jury to believe you?

Gates: Yes.

Defense: Uncorroborated?

Gates: Yes.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

This could be applied to anyone in politics.. Hell. How can you believe the bozo in the White House after he has been caught lying over 100 times during his presidency ?

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

This whole trial is an absolute joke. Manafort is on trial because Team Mueller was hoping he'd flip on Trump. What an absolute judicial disgrace and waste of taxpayer money.

If this jury doesn't acquit I'll be surprised.

a reply to: Feltrick

Because tax fraud is a good thing?

I have to pay taxes, but for some reason or other, Manafort doesn't?

Alrighty then.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

That's gotta hurt!!!.....

a reply to: angeldoll

It's not about the tax fraud and never was. Tax payer dollars are being spent in the hope Manafort would roll on Trump.

Gates got a sweetheart deal because Manafort worked for Trump. This tax fraud case has been known since 2008, why did they wait so long to prosecute. Because Trump bad...

a reply to: Feltrick

It's never a waste of taxpayer dollars to try people--especially politically motivated people--in a court of law when they brake the laws. In fact, that should be a priority.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Then why not go after Gates who committed tax fraud AND embezzled from Manafort? Why only Manafort and why 10yrs after they knew about it? Rosenstein chose not to prosecute the case years ago.

I don't have any problems going after criminals but this case reeks of politics.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Double post

The Gateway Pundit (TGP) is a politically far-right pro-Trump website that publishes hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and fake news. It was founded after the United States presidential election in 2004, according to its founder Jim Hoft, to "speak the truth" and to "expose the wickedness of the left".

en.wikipedia.org...

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

What is it with Trump supporters cheerleading Manafort? The guy is sleazy af. He's made a living out of corrupting government, influence peddling, graft etc so he could buy $20k ostrich skin jackets. He promised and tried to get an administration appointment for a banker in exchange for a mortgage he needed to bridge the gap until he could sell influence over Trump to his Russian sugar daddies.

And all of sudden you're acting like tax evasion, money laundering, bank fraud, etc are somehow crimes that shouldn't be prosecuted.

Manafort belongs in jail. He should have been in jail decades ago. Rooting for him to get away with it for no other reason than because he ran Trump's campaign in the Summer of 2016? What the hell is that?

Drain the swamp indeed.

originally posted by: angeldoll
a reply to: Feltrick

Because tax fraud is a good thing?

I have to preface this by saying that there not be a tax on earned income to begin with, and therefore no tax fraud. So I have a much bigger problem with the income tax law than the tax "fraud."

But more to the point, I am far more disturbed by the weaponization of the tax code (in sooooooo many ways) by our elected and unelected critters, and this selective prosecution solely for intimidation and bullying tactics. In other words, they didn't choose to prosecute until they thought they could use it against Trump.

I have to pay taxes, but for some reason or other, Manafort doesn't?

And this is exactly what the PTB count on to get away with their crap... they want you to ignore the fundamental unfairness and unjustness of the law itself and their exploitation and abuse of that law and just get mad that you have to pay taxes and this guy didn't.

You shouldn't have to pay one red cent to the government for the absolute RIGHT to provide for you and your family. Neither should Manafort, nor anyone. And the government should not have this sword to hold over all of our heads.

There is soooooooooooo much wrong with this trial. But it ALL goes right back to the Feds and the corrupt critters.

Alrighty then.

I think they’re more sweeping up pieces of the apparently inept prosecutor. How many times does a judge have to point out “prove what you charged, quit storytelling” (to paraphrase from the multiple times the prosecution has been dressed down).

I'm all for prosecuting criminals, tax cheats, hustlers, etc. I’m not for prosecutorial overreaching in the hope you’ll bag a sitting POTUS. If Manafort is guilty of something, get to the point and prove it!

By the way, pretty sure they could have proven everything they have proven so far on Manafort without letting other serious criminals off the hook, via “deals”. But gotta misuse their position and aim for a sitting POTUS in an attempt to make a name for themselves, don’t cha know?

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: Feltrick

It's never a waste of taxpayer dollars to try people--especially politically motivated people--in a court of law when they brake the laws. In fact, that should be a priority.

I would agree if we didn't have so many craptastic laws. There was a time when I believed that the justice system would work it all out in the end -- for justice. I know better now. There is no virtue in enforcing and persecuting folks for bad laws. None.

To do so just compounds the injustice.

This is neither surprising nor game changing in the slightest. Its courtroom cross-examination 101 to limit/erase the credibility of a witness testifying against your client. What Manafort's defense attorney's can't do is say that the MOUNTAINS of actual papertrail and financial evidence that is beyond a smoking gun is invalidated in ANY way. So in essence, they've possibly planted a seed of doubt in a juror's mind that Gates may be lying about Manfort for some reason, but they can't erase the actual hard evidence of Manfort's crimes. Gates is like a cherry atop a Crime-cake, and Manafort lover's are viewing the cross examination as the herald angels singing a glorious victory for him.

originally posted by: theantediluvian
a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

What is it with Trump supporters cheerleading Manafort? The guy is sleazy af. He's made a living out of corrupting government, influence peddling, graft etc so he could buy $20k ostrich skin jackets. He promised and tried to get an administration appointment for a banker in exchange for a mortgage he needed to bridge the gap until he could sell influence over Trump to his Russian sugar daddies.

And all of sudden you're acting like tax evasion, money laundering, bank fraud, etc are somehow crimes that shouldn't be prosecuted.

Manafort belongs in jail. He should have been in jail decades ago. Rooting for him to get away with it for no other reason than because he ran Trump's campaign in the Summer of 2016? What the hell is that?

Drain the swamp indeed.

It has nothing to do with manafort.
It has a lot to do with equal prosecution under the law.
A lot of people with tax issues are given the opportunity to rectify them with no charges being brought.
A lot of people with fara issues are allowed to retroactively file the proper paperwork.

Gee and I though we were ALL for EQUAL application of the law???

These are both dirty, dirty guys. Just filthy. Trying to tie them to Trump isn't too hard. Trump surrounds himself with just filth so by laying down with all his dogs he got fleas. There is no other way to look at it. Politicians=dirty dogs. They're all subject to the laws of the land. Politically motivated? Of coure-it's all just one big group of dirt and moral depravity to the point I just don't want to hear anymore. Mueller can just keep picking and choosing trying to tie Trump in with them. He might get lucky. Yea, politics. Of course it's political. Just opening the eyes of all this filth to the electorate and maybe there's some good to that. There are guilty.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

That is kind of the point being made. The FBI investigated Manafort as far back as 2006 on the same charges. They declined to even present the case to a prosecutor.

My guess is that there were too many others that also could have been subjected to the same charges.

Prominent people were hard at work in Ukraine during that time, including Podestas and many big time DC law firms.

Not saying Manafort is guilty nor not guilty. Just pointing out that selective prosecution is wrong and Mueller has a career full of decisions like this

originally posted by: theantediluvian
a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

What is it with Trump supporters cheerleading Manafort? The guy is sleazy af. He's made a living out of corrupting government, influence peddling, graft etc so he could buy $20k ostrich skin jackets. He promised and tried to get an administration appointment for a banker in exchange for a mortgage he needed to bridge the gap until he could sell influence over Trump to his Russian sugar daddies.

And all of sudden you're acting like tax evasion, money laundering, bank fraud, etc are somehow crimes that shouldn't be prosecuted.

Manafort belongs in jail. He should have been in jail decades ago. Rooting for him to get away with it for no other reason than because he ran Trump's campaign in the Summer of 2016? What the hell is that?

Drain the swamp indeed.

no doubt. It's almost like the average low information leftie fawning over Hillary in 2018. Stupid? Yea. But it happens.

I'd like to see anyone who committed crimes, be accountable to those crimes, just like the lowest of the low would. But then, I'm an extreme minority on that front.