The federal judge in Virginia overseeing the trial of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort signaled Friday that he is amenable to unsealing some of the records in the case that media organizations are seeking.
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis said his intention is eventually to unseal everything except for a few names and medical details.
“I made it clear at the time that these matters would not be permanently under seal. I don’t do things to keep from being scrutinized and criticized,” Ellis said.
Ellis said he will hold a hearing on the matter Friday afternoon. Media organizations were seeking to intervene in the case to obtain access to the sealed records.
“I’m no stranger to criticism. But this case has brought it to a new level,” Ellis added, drawing laughter in the courtroom.
The motion by new organizations:
The more sunlight, the better. Also, the sooner we can get that sunlight the better off we will be. This is one of the few things this judge has said that I like and agree with.
I don’t do things to keep from being scrutinized and criticized.
Further confirming the judge’s notion that this trial is really about him.
I respectfully disagree. I think he has been going out of his way to be even-handed and I’m quite sure he is trying to ensure that there is no basis for appeal. Yes, he’s been hard on the prosecution, but I don’t see him coddling the defense, either. Let’s see what the verdict is before we start criticizing the judge.
Why does the press corps laugh at this judge’s bad jokes? This is not a game, the judge’s conduct in this trial has been atrocious, and in his preening self-regard and overt bias he may have well confused and prejudiced the jury. Heck, the jury can’t figure out which exhibits go with which indictments because the judge wouldn’t let the prosecution show them the evidence during the trial. None of this is a laughing matter. The press corps sitting in the courtroom should give the judge the stone-faced contempt he deserves.
I hear lawyers saying that judges are hard on prosecutions when they think they have a slam dunk case…and then I think of the media in 2016 assuming Clinton had it in the bag…