Reuters published a story on October 22, 2018 which spelled out specifically that the same Paul Manafort who had been adjudicated guilty to multiple crimes related to the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe being led by the Special Counsel Robert Mueller III in Mid September 2018 and who agreed to a plea deal with the FBI, was party to a joint-defense agreement with President Trump’s attorneys.
There is no way that the FBI Special Counsel’s team was not aware that Paul Manafort had been in the habit of sharing information with President Trump, by 10/22/18. Mr. Mueller strung Mr. Manafort along for about a month until the president turned in his answers around 11/21/18 to the questions presented to him by the FBI. It is my opinion that whatever lies Paul Manafort shared with the FBI may have been replicated in the President’s answers. It was around 11/26 that the FBI’s Special Counsel announced that he was tearing up the plea deal between the FBI and Paul Manafort.
Here’s the rest of the story…
On October 22, 2018, Karen Freifeld and Kevin Layne of Reuters penned the following report, “Trump lawyer: Manafort said nothing damaging in Mueller interviews”
Excerpts:
“Under an unusual arrangement, Paul Manafort’s attorney has kept Donald Trump informed about the former campaign chairman’s meetings with prosecutors investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and, according to Trump’s lawyer, Manafort has not said anything damaging about the president.”
“Giuliani said the conversations were occurring under a so-called joint defense agreement, which allows lawyers who represent different clients to exchange information without violating attorney-client privilege.”
“Legal experts said it was unusual for such an agreement to remain in effect after a person pleads guilty and agrees to cooperate with prosecutors as Manafort has done.”
“Manafort is talking to Special Counsel Robert Mueller “about a lot of things, none of which are incriminating with regard to the president,” Giuliani said in one of several conversations with Reuters this month.”
“Giuliani said he was told by Downing that Manafort had met with Mueller’s team roughly a half dozen times.”
“Giuliani’s account of his communications with Downing comes at what may be a critical point in Mueller’s investigation of election meddling and any possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, which the president denies.”
“Mueller has started drafting a report outlining his findings that will be submitted to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees Mueller’s team, and could ultimately be made public, a person familiar with the matter said.”
“New York lawyer Harry Sandick, a former federal prosecutor, said that there are some cases in which a joint defense agreement can survive a cooperation agreement, such as if Manafort is providing information about people other than Trump.”
“In general, you can only have a joint defense agreement where there is a common interest between two people in defeating a prosecution,” Sandick said.
“He said lawyers can have unprivileged conversations with their clients’ approval.”
Giuliani said his conversations with Downing had been limited to areas that affect Trump.
“If he wants to communicate information, Manafort, he’s allowed. There’s nothing that stops him from doing that,” Giuliani said. “All I’m interested in is: Is there anything we need to know with regard to us?”
“Giuliani said Downing had not shared specific facts with him regarding Manafort’s discussions with prosecutors.”
“He’s just telling me the conclusion that he’s not in a conflicted position with us,” said Giuliani, who has been very public in his defense of Trump, appearing regularly on TV disputing aspects of the investigation and calling it a political witch hunt just as the president has.”
“Legal experts said Manafort’s lawyer may be trying to remain on good terms with the Trump camp in the hopes that Manafort will ultimately receive a presidential pardon.”
Gronda Morin 