Special prosecutor Robert Mueller III (aka Bobbie three sticks) recently indicted former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort on 12 federal felonies.
The charges of conspiracy, false statements and bank fraud revolve around Manafort’s efforts to hide the ill-gotten gains from his criminal adventures undermining Ukranian democracy, by laundering the lucre through New York City real estate deals.
Since the 2000’s, Gangsters had paid millions to Manafort to attack the Ukraine’s infant democracy and to assist a corrupt political party’s power grab.
Every new revelation casts light into another dark corner of Manafort’s life of crime. Yesterday, DKos’ own ursulalaw reported on McClatchy News’ uncovering of 10 years of Manafort’s flight records on private jets to eastern Europe and Russia. The McClatchy story opened up new fields of inquiry:
In April 2014, for instance, Manafort traveled to Vienna. Ukrainian oligarch Firtash had been arrested there the prior month on U.S. charges that he helped orchestrate an $18.5 million bribery scheme involving the government of India, a U.S. firm and a Firtash company in the Virgin Islands. A former U.S. government official, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter, said Manafort met with Firtash in Vienna, where he is awaiting extradition to the United States.
In truth, Firtash is a high ranking gangster associated with the Russian Mafia and a former real estate partner with Manafort. He’s currently under criminal indictment for racketeering, out on $174 million bond and fighting extradition.
www.usatoday.com/…
When Firtash got busted in 2013 for attempting to bribe Indian politicians wth $18.5 million for mining permits. Manafort kind of forgot who Firtash was Manafort denied ever having a business relationship with the gangster, although they had explored an opportunity.
But the McClatchy discovery of Manafort’s flight records undercuts Manafort’s claims of no ties to Firtash. Why would he have flown to Vienna to meet with Firtash after the racketeering indictment unless they are … BFF?
In 2008, Manafort and Firtash were partners in phony New York City real estate deals, including the proposed $885 million purchase of the Drake Hotel. The deals laundered ill-gotten gains from crimes committed in the Ukraine, according to former Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. She accused Firtash and Manafort of racketeering in a privately filed federal civil suit.
In other words, there’s evidence that Manafort was laundering money for the Russian Mafia via New York real estate deals for years, even before Mueller indicted him for his current crimes.
Former US prosecutor Ken McCallion, who represented Yulia in the 2011 suit against Manafort, said he’s handed over materials from that suit to federal investigators. The court had tossed Yulia’s suit, claiming it lacked specifics on the financial crimes. Mueller’s team may be able to add in those missing specifics.
www.washingtonexaminer.com/…
Thanks for reading.