FOX:
The federal judge in the trial of ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort told Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team on Thursday they cannot prove a key part of their case unless prosecutors call Manafort’s former business partner to the stand.
U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III issued the warning after prosecutors suggested Wednesday that Rick Gates – who is cooperating with prosecutors and had been considered a potential star witness – might not be called to the stand after all.
Referencing Gates, Ellis told prosecutors in court they “can’t prove conspiracy without him.”
“Not necessarily,” Mueller prosecutor Greg Andres responded, before saying they still have “every intention” to call Gates to the stand.
Ellis, a 78-year-old Reagan-appointed judge known for colorful comments, also quipped that his “wife wasn’t fooled” by the prosecution’s comments on Wednesday leaving open the option of not calling Gates — suggesting he did not believe the prosecution was being serious about the possibility. more
IANAL. I don’t have any intimate knowledge of Judge Ellis, but if he thinks the trial may be over earlier than expected that’s probably very good news for Manafort. I can’t see the judge cutting things short and instructing the jury that they had to convict, but I can see the judge at the end of the prosecution case instructing the jury that the govt had failed to present adequate evidence to prove their case and that they must acquit.
I’d bet a modest amount on Manafort walking away from this.
@Al, I’m not a betting man, I’m with you, I would take that bet.
I imagine real jurists are getting a little tired of the runaway prosecution of invisible crimes.
So far, I’m not sure what this has to do with Russian collusion involving the Trump campaign. Manafort is charged with tax fraud and money laundering that predated his involvement with the Trump campaign. There is no indication that Trump was involved or even knew about any of this.
The implication is that if Manafort is convicted, then ipso facto the Trump campaign and Trump are guilty of Russian election collusion. I just don’t see it, and this just seems like an effort to punish someone who at one time was associated with Trump.
Hmmm: Y’all could probably get good odds from many a prog.
But, but, Your Honor… he once smiled at Donald Trump, said nice things about him too. He must be convicted of something. Please Your Honor, we are playing by the old soviet rules here – we’ve shown you a man and found a crime, now give him jail time.
Listening to Wilcow report yesterday on Sirius, he played a 2 minute montage of every left wing lib in the media using the phrase, “the walls are closing in” on Trump because of this trial.
Literally it was 2 minutes of buffoon after buffoon saying this. Another example of media collusion in everything!
the walls are closing in https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=72&v=rLEchPZm318
Well, the $20K ostrich jacket is enough to convict the fellow.
A ten-foot chicken (not to be confused with Comey) will be their new mascot.