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Until now, among all the people trapped in the FBI's investigation of Russia, no one has confused the jurists as Paul Manafort, the former president of the campaign President Donald Trump.
Manafort has been charged twice in connection with the Mueller case investigation for offenses related to his years of lobbying work for a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party in the United States. United. Following his first trial, he was convicted of eight counts of tax and banking fraud. Manafort was again scheduled to stand trial in September, but instead reached an agreement with the special attorney's office to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge and to a leader. to justice in exchange for his cooperation.
Given Manafort's high position in the Trump campaign, as well as its close ties with several people belonging to the president's inner circle, legal experts told INSIDER that he would have a good chance of getting a significantly reduced prison sentence had he fully cooperated and expressed remorse for his crimes.
So, when it was learned that Manafort's lawyers were informing Trump's legal team of all that the prosecutors were asking Manafort, and that later Manafort was accused of lying to prosecutors, the veterans from the Department of Justice were stunned. Some said that there were only two reasons why Manafort could compromise his plea agreement and his freedom.
"Manafort is essentially a hustler," said a former senior Justice Department official who worked closely with Mueller. "It is very possible that he has considered the option in front of him – the plea agreement – and figured that he would have a better chance of getting out without having to serve his sentence with grace. "
"Manafort got a pardon, it's showing Trump the thing he wants the most: loyalty," said the former manager at INSIDER. "And we found that Manafort's lawyers kept Trump's team up to date on what was being asked of him.Not forget that Trump also publicly expressed his sympathy for Manafort and congratulated him not to break. "
Read moreWe could receive the Mueller report as early as next week, but the investigation on Russia is far from over
"Maybe Manafort was lying because telling the truth would reveal something more sinister"
Manafort and former US National Security Advisor Michael Flynn are the only two people in Trump's restricted circle involved in the investigation of Russia who have not been the public target of his anger . Last year, the New York Times announced that former John Trump's defense attorney, John Dowd, had offered both men a potential forgiveness in the summer of 2017, which appeared to be a counterpart offer in exchange for their silence.
A defense lawyer, who requested anonymity because he actively participates in Mueller's investigation, explained the Manafort acts for a second time: "Maybe Manafort was lying because to say the truth would reveal something more sinister, "they told INSIDER. "Who else would risk doing something so stupid without a guarantee of freedom?"
Manafort has the most distorted links with Russian and Ukrainian pro-Russian interests.
Prosecutors reportedly investigated his links with former Russian intelligence agent Konstantin Kilimnik, the Russian-Ukrainian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Manafort is known to have provided Deripaska with "private information sessions" on the 2016 campaign as intelligence veterans have described a long-standing attempt to settle financial disputes with Deripaska. Prosecutors also said that Manafort had shared confidential survey data from the Trump campaign with Kilimnik, who is in frequent contact with Deripaska, during the elections.
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