Paul Manafort Attempts to Make a Big Money Deal to Get Out of House Arrest

Wow. This is the difference between when the average Joe is put on house arrest and when the wealthy run afoul of the law, I guess.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has a long list of charges, relating to his dirty business deals. He, along with his business partner, Rick Gates are in the deep doo-doo, now.

To date, charges include: Conspiracy against the United States and failure to register as foreign agents of Ukraine’s pro-Russia government, and conspiracy to launder money.

Both Manafort and Gates are under house arrest and sporting those elegant ankle bracelets, otherwise known as electronic monitoring.

They’re also under unsecured bonds of $10 million and $5 million. “Unsecured” means they don’t have to post the money, unless they fail to show up for court or otherwise violate conditions.

Manafort, however, is trying to buy himself a little more wiggle room, as he waits for trial.

According to Reuters:

 In the Saturday court filing, Manafort offered to limit his travel to New York, Washington and Florida and pledged life insurance worth about $4.5 million as well as about $8 million in real estate assets, including a property on Fifth Avenue in New York that was identified by some media outlets as an apartment in Trump Tower.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said on Thursday that initial bail terms would remain in place and set a bail hearing for Monday to consider changes. On Friday, she suggested a potential May 7 trial date.

Both Manafort and Gates are considered flight risks, hence the electronic monitoring.

Special counsel, as part of the indictment, are seeking forfeiture of four of Manafort’s properties, connected to the money laundering charges.

And what about those three passports?

Manafort, 68, in the filing also explained why he had three different U.S. passports, a fact noted by prosecutors. Manafort’s lawyer, Kevin Downing, rejected suggestions that Manafort was a “Jason Bourne character” – referencing a fictitious, globe-trotting, rogue covert agent.

“The facts are much more mundane,” Downing wrote.

Manafort had two passports, including one for submitting to foreign governments to receive visas while traveling on the other, his lawyers said. He was issued a third passport because one had been lost and Manafort contacted passport services to advise them it was found.

Multiple offshore accounts?

Downing also wrote that funds Manafort had deposited in accounts on the island of Cyprus were legal and now had only “nominal” balances. Prosecutors said Manafort and Gates used numerous entities to transmit more than $18 million from Ukraine through Cyprus and eventually to the United States.

He’s got an answer for everything, I suppose.

Then again, I guess he’d better. This one isn’t just going to slip away to nothing.

On Tuesday, prosecutors noted, in regard to Manafort’s financial situation was substantial, but not easily pinned down. What was listed on loan applications and other forms from 2012 forward had a range of about $19 million to $136 million.

So what happens to all of that if Manafort goes to prison?

If convicted, he and Gates are looking at about 20 years for just the conspiracy to launder money charge.

I doubt either are prepared, mentally, to endure that kind of stay away from the comforts they’ve apparently grown used to.

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