Manafort. Paul Manafort. He’s become the emblem of the Trump campaign, hasn’t he? He’s simply full of deceit and lies. Like Gates, and Flynn. Oh, and Trump. And others I’d rather not remember. Will Stone end up in the same boat? From his statements & behaviors, I’d be completely unsurprised.
Manafort’s latest alleged lie breaches his plea agreement, as detailed here. Once again, he’s apparently lied about a Russian contact. And that may land him in prison for the rest of his life.
So let’s think about this for a moment. This is quite a momentous personal mistake for Manafort. He is, after all, walking a very thin line here. He already made one deal with the government, which had to piss off a President who, as a matter of reality, shouldn’t be at all concerned about any deals his former campaign manager might have made if he, himself, is not guilty of anything. But, of course, there are suspicions, given his behavior towards the Russians: an Oval Office conference, huddles with Russian President Putin that go unrecorded, boasting of being the toughest ever on Russia when all the objective evidence tells otherwise.
All these lies that connect with the Russians. Is it possible that it’s not just Trump that’s been compromised, but all the key members of his campaign staff? I can certainly accept that they were simply mendacious, ruthless in their campaign. However, such people, once the rocks they hide under have been removed, find their possessions & prestige, those things they value most, under threat and “roll” for the authorities. It’s a simple enough matter.
Manafort’s broken this pattern. He’s continued to lie even under threat of a life, once so full of possessions and adventure, finishing behind dreary bars. This intrigues. This suggests that the Russians may have such a grip on him that he’ll sacrifice his personal liberty for something else he values even more. The traditional answer to this is family.
Or he’s a pathological liar, he cannot help lying and obfuscating and believing he’s still a free agent.
Or he’s absolutely certain that President Trump will come riding to his rescue with a pardon. If that happens, then the question will become what hold Manafort has on Trump, because the considerable cost to Trump would be considerable
This is going to be one interesting spider-web to examine once all is revealed.
