Saturday, September 15, 2018

Some interesting portions of the Manafort plea agreement

Here is the entire agreement.

Some interesting parts:

1. The Government believes that the sentencing guidelines yield a sentence of 210-262 months, even after acceptance of responsibility. That means that if Manafort had gone to trial and lost, the prosecution would have suggested that the guidelines were higher than 20 years for the 69-year old.

2. The agreement limits the sentence to a maximum of 10 years. If he successfully cooperates, that sentence will be greatly reduced. If he gets 40-50% cooperation credit, he wil be looking at 5-6 years. If he can convince the Virginia judge to give him a similar sentence and those sentences are run concurrent, he would be released in the 4 year range. He would get credit for the time he has been in.

3. The Special Counsel agreed not to bring any other charges. But this does not bind any state prosecutors (should there eventually be a pardon).

4. The guidelines as set forth in the agreement say that the laundered funds were in excess of $25 million, it involved sophisticated means, he led 5 or more criminal participants, and that he obstructed justice. Interestingly, Manafort carved out the ability to argue that he was not the leader of 5 or more criminal participants.

5. Manafort agreed that he would not profit off of this case through books, speeches, and the like. (As an aside, there is a debate in the law about whether this provision is enforceable).

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Manafort is guilty as sin.

However:

1. During investigation feds leak like crazy.
2. Post indictment gag order.
3. Post conviction attempt to gag.

These guys are obsessed with controlling the narrative.

Anonymous said...

The MSM is in for a huge disappointment. Knowing the circles this guy ran in, he has to have tons of background information on inside players from both sides of the aisle. Don't be surprised if top notch lobbyists like the Podesta firm and Greg Craig (https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/14/politics/greg-craig-foreign-agent-registration-investigation/index.html) get a telescope rammed up there backside unit they show up in court in handcuffs and a $4000 suit.

Anonymous said...

"Feds leak like crazy"? Mueller team not leaking at all actually.

Anonymous said...

GOP hellbent on putting another predator on the Supreme Court.

Anonymous said...

I am a Democrat.

To the extent they develop evidence to warrant it, I hope they do indict democrats, Hillary Clinton, and any other corrupt individuals who deserve to be indicted - this includes Trump and his family as well. I couldn't care less if Hilary went to jail if she deserves to. I hated her deletion of e-mails and destroying the phones. I am fine with her being prosecuted for that alone. None of it absolves Trump or his people though.

Anonymous said...

I didn't say mueller team. I said feds. Unless the press is lying, the feds leaked all kinds of stuff re manafort.

Here is what manafort says, and the press articles speak for themselves

http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4450013-4-30-18-Manafort-Motion-for-Hearing-on-Leaks-EDVA.html

Ps are you really of the view feds didn't leak? You are silly silly person

Anonymous said...

Isn't it a damn shame how much time is wasted trying to calculate sentences in federal court and so often getting it wrong. Why have none of you hot shot lawyers been able to get this process simplified?