President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on Friday insisted that he is innocent after his business associate Rick Gates pled guilty to two charges and took a plea deal in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.
“Notwithstanding that Rick Gates pled today, I continue to maintain my innocence,” Manafort said in a statement via his spokesman, Jason Maloni.
Manafort said he “hoped and expected” that Gates “would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence.”
“For reasons yet to surface he chose to do otherwise,” Manafort said. “This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled up charges contained in the indictments against me.”
Gates on Friday pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to the special counsel and one count of conspiracy against the United States, and agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s investigation as part of a plea deal.
It does not matter.
If the Feds don’t get you the State of New York will.
Is Manafort betting it all on the pardon? Is he such an old-school crook that he won’t rat? Is he afraid of something worse if he did? Nobody assumes he’s innocent.*
*From what I’ve read, the GOP establishment assumed or knew Manafort was dirty for some time. Nicole Wallace said the McCain campaign wanted nothing to do with him because of that.
Doesn’t alter his ability to defend himself, either!
(it’s still zero)
“a statement via his spokesman, Jason Maloni.”
his spokesman has earned one day’s pay…
wonder what Manafort really thinks…
Does the phrase, “busted cold” ring a bell?