This mistaken non-redaction conveniently lets co-conspirators know what Mueller shared
Manafort’s Redaction Fail Tells Trump that Mueller Caught Him Lying about His Russian Handler, Konstantin Kilimnik
https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/01/08/manaforts-redaction-fail-tells-trump-that-mueller-caught-him-lying-about-his-russian-handler-konstantin-kilimnik/
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Manafort demands to have more witness testimony before he’ll respond to other details on his lies
In a section on how Tom Barrack paid him via a third party contractor — for what is not yet clear — Manafort suggests he can’t respond because the government hasn’t shared the witness statements of others alleging to the fact.
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Then, in a section rebutting his lies about whether or not he had contacts with the Trump Administration, he claims the two instances that Mueller raised don’t really count. He again demands more witness statements.
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Then, even as agreeing there’s no need to have a breach hearing, Manafort asks for more witness statements again.
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This mistaken non-redaction conveniently lets co-conspirators know what Mueller shared
I have no idea whether this non-redaction was a colossal mistake or whether this was a cute way to disclose what evidence Mueller has shared with Manafort (remember: these five lies were not the only ones that Manafort told; just the only ones that Mueller wanted to describe).
But even ignoring the redaction fail, the filing feels very contemptuous, as if they’re still playing for a pardon.
Effectively, they’re admitting their client maybe lied or just conveniently forgot to minimize his ongoing conspiracy with someone even Rick Gates has said has ties to Russian intelligence — the same Russian intelligence agency that hacked Democrats. But they don’t think that’s a big deal. They’re just going to double down on obtaining more information on the evidence Mueller has while they wait for the pardon.
Update: Per CNN, Manafort says this Madrid meeting was after the campaign. Okay. That makes the explanation all the more ridiculous. Took out references to the campaign accordingly.
