Paul Manafort released to house arrest due to C19

[Hugo Stiglitz 23356]

 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23356]

 

[TwiceHorn 31283]

As I mentioned elsewhere, BOP and DOJ have been all over the place on this.  Plus, it seems if BOP won't let you out based on their own guidelines, you can go to your sentencing judge for a variant of compassionate release.

I have mixed feelings about this.  Not Manafort specifically, but release based on the virus.

I think one thing it may show us is that a lot of people with longish sentences are going to get released and not recidivate, demonstrating that draconian federal sentences are overkill.  At least I hope that's what happens.

Also, it should be pointed out that "home confinement" means you don't leave home except for medical appointments and emergencies.  There are other variants that include GPS monitoring that permit work and so forth, but this doesn't.

[lemonlime 5503]

There are lots of problems with the criminal justice system in our country right now, not the least of which is Barr turning the DOJ into trump's personal law firm, our country having become a banana republic, and way too much incarceration.  

But releasing elderly, nonviolent criminals during a pandemic makes sense.  The rate of spread of Covid in prisons and jails is very high.  I just hope (and sadly doubt) that the common sense measure extends to people in prison for nonviolent drug crimes and who aren't politically connected.  And we should all be outraged that ICE detainees, who have not committed a crime, are subject to these conditions.  

[GW Hayduke 1952]

Once Barr and the DOJ embraced political motivations (barr’s misframing of obstruction, revisions to Stone’s sent recommendations, dropping flynn’s Guilty plea), the taint has inevitably spread to all of their decisions whether justified or not. 

[DixonHur 11227]

I thought COVID-19 was a hoax that was under control.  Was I misinformed?

 

[Gap03 3287]

18 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Also, it should be pointed out that "home confinement" means you don't leave home except for medical appointments and emergencies.  There are other variants that include GPS monitoring that permit work and so forth, but this doesn't.

From my perspective, I think it all depends on the home to which fuckers like Manafort are confined.  Staying at home in some multimillion place?  Fuck that.  Confined to one of Kushner's slum apartments?  Sure, I'm down with that.  

[Hugo Stiglitz 23356]

Trump is going to pardon Manafort and Stone.  I’m not sure how anyone can’t see this coming.  The question is when, not if.

[TwiceHorn 31283]

18 minutes ago, Gap03 said:

From my perspective, I think it all depends on the home to which fuckers like Manafort are confined.  Staying at home in some multimillion place?  Fuck that.  Confined to one of Kushner's slum apartments?  Sure, I'm down with that.  

Valid point.  Although I'm not sure how many homes Manafort kept.

[TwiceHorn 31283]

3 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Trump is going to pardon Manafort and Stone.  I’m not sure how anyone can’t see this coming.  The question is when, not if.

Almost certainly on his way out. Somehow or other, he has discerned that pardoning midterm would have political consequences he can't handle.

[Mrs Whiggins 13049]

3 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Trump is going to pardon Manafort and Stone.  I’m not sure how anyone can’t see this coming.  The question is when, not if.

Oh, Hugo. He's getting the old gang back together again, so everybody's getting a pardon. Poor Lev and Igor, though. They're just hanging out waiting to see if SDNY is going to sit this one out. Barr's got this. It'll be just like old times.

[Hugo Stiglitz 23356]

6 minutes ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

He's getting the old gang back together again

This is what it’s all about.  Parscale and Kushner are amateurs compared to Flynn, Manafort, and Stone; and Trump knows it.

[Bruh Man 3160]

1 hour ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Trump is going to pardon Manafort and Stone.  I’m not sure how anyone can’t see this coming.  The question is when, not if.

It was reported that his advisors have told him to wait till after the election. 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23356]

 

[RomaVicta 29794]

From the link:

Quote

A Republican-led Senate group found that Manafort was a “grave counterintelligence threat,” according to USA Today. He had longstanding ties to people affiliated with Russian intelligence and had a willingness to share information with them during the 2016 presidential race.

The panel found that Manafort’s presence on the campaign created opportunities for Russian intelligence to have influence over and inquire information about the Trump campaign.

Did that Senate group condemn Trump for pardoning his fellow traitor?

Would Customs deny Trump a flight for the same reasons?

[bolverk 29402]

9 hours ago, RomaVicta said:

From the link:

Did that Senate group condemn Trump for pardoning his fellow traitor?

Would Customs deny Trump a flight for the same reasons?

Russia. RUSSIA! RUSSIAAA!!!

God, can't you people get over it?

[Mrs Whiggins 13049]

From independent journalist, Marcy Wheeler:

"As a reminder, Manafort’s pardon did not include his actions in an August 2, 2016 meeting with alleged Russian spy Konstanin Kilimnik, at which he seemingly traded his strategy to win the election for $19 million in financial benefit and a commitment to help carve up Ukraine.

Nor was Manafort pardoned for his efforts, which continued at least until he was arrested, to help Kilimnik carve up Ukraine to Russia’s liking.

Nor was Manafort pardoned for his role in all the influence-peddling that Rudy Giuliani was involved with in Ukraine through 2020."

 

 

[TwiceHorn 31283]

I haven't seen anything authoritative about why/how exactly his passport was "revoked."

There is some allusion to it being "revoked" in connection with his arrest on the charges on which he was convicted.  But that isn't typical.  Usually it is "surrendered" or held by criminal authorities pending trial.  That is only a temporary measure designed to prevent flight.

The State Department can revoke passports for a number of reasons, including a conviction for "sex tourism" or indication from the IRS of upaid taxes. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/revocation-or-denial-of-passport-in-case-of-certain-unpaid-taxes

The latter seems especially likely.  A pardon would have no effect on that.

What's super-strange is that he was permitted to board at all.  One would think his passport was at least scanned at the terminal.  ETA:  I am seeing more recent stories that he was not, in fact, permitted to board.

Edited March 24, 2022 by TwiceHorn

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

Traitors should hang. Manafort is a traitor. Do the math. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13049]

1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

I haven't seen anything authoritative about why/how exactly his passport was "revoked."

There is some allusion to it being "revoked" in connection with his arrest on the charges on which he was convicted.  But that isn't typical.  Usually it is "surrendered" or held by criminal authorities pending trial.

The State Department can revoke passports for a number of reasons, including a conviction for "sex tourism" or indication from the IRS of upaid taxes. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/revocation-or-denial-of-passport-in-case-of-certain-unpaid-taxes

The latter seems especially likely.

What's super-strange is that he was permitted to board at all.  One would think his passport was at least scanned at the terminal.

This is per NBC which is saying that he was not permitted to board:

 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13414]

CNN’s story on this was also vague about the why but they did mention that he had at least 3 US passports in 2017. That could create confusion with customs.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/23/politics/manafort-passport-revoked/index.html