Everything You Need to Know About Paul Manafort’s Indictment
President Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort was indicted Monday morning and ordered to surrender to authorities. According to the New York Times , he is accused of smuggling millions of dollars through foreign shell companies and [using] the money to buy luxury cars, real estate, antiques and expensive suits. ” His associate Rick Gates was also charged. The Times notes that this represents “a significant escalation in the investigation by the special adviser that darkened Mr Trump’s first year in office.”
What exactly does this mean – what is an indictment, what does it mean to surrender, and what are Manafort’s next steps? And how does this relate to Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation of the Trump campaign into possible ties to Russia? I spoke with Matt Kaiser, a former federal public defender and partner at KaiserDillon in Washington DC.
What is an indictment?
“The constitution requires that if anyone is charged with a felony in federal court, he must be charged by a grand jury. This means that community members get together to hear evidence and find out if there is a likely reason that the person committed the charges against them. The person is still considered innocent. An indictment is a formal indictment in which the government sets out charges and initiates criminal proceedings. ”
What happens when a person is charged?
“Either they surrender themselves [as in the case of Manfort], or an arrest warrant is issued. Most federal courts appear in court for the first time on the same day, unless the indictment is announced late at night. At this hearing, the judge does several things: he or she will formally tell you what the charges are. You will receive a copy of the indictment, they will make sure you have a lawyer (which is not a problem in this case), and then they will decide what are the conditions for your release. “
Who is the judge?
Amy Berman Jackson, Obama’s appointee. Before becoming a judge, she was a lawyer who represented William Jefferson, Louisiana congressmen convicted in 2009 on corruption charges. “She will promptly issue a scheduling order that will indicate when the petitions are to be considered and when the trial is scheduled.”
What is the first thing to look for?
“The first thing to look at is the speed with which this case is progressing – whether the government insists on a speedy trial or it will take some time. Müller personally signed the indictment. I don’t think this is a serious tactical signal, but it is interesting to note. “
What should we watch out for in terms of strategy?
“In such white-collar cases, the strategies of the mafia or big drug cases began to be used – blaming lower-level people to force them to turn over. I have to think that this is the strategy here. This is a serious charge with a lot of charges, and the maximum fine is huge. Manafort faces a tough choice: go to court? Or could he cooperate against the president or other people that Mueller is trying to get his hands on? “
Do you think he can handle a fall like Scooter Libby?
I asked the Kaiser about Scooter Libby ‘s conviction , which he was sentenced to 30 months for perjury and obstruction of justice in the Valerie Plame case. Republicans raised $ 5 million to defend him, and his sentence was later commuted. Agreeing to make way for leadership – if it did happen – would require a certain level of trust on Libby’s part. Does the Kaiser think this case is similar?
“This is a really interesting question: is Donald Trump trustworthy? I think a lot of people have reason to be skeptical about this. This is a huge risk. Müller is not going anywhere. “