Damning Mueller memo finds no equal criminal to Paul Manafort

The 800 page memo chronicles 10 years of felonies; Paul Manafort's array of crimes put him in a class of his own. [View this email in your browser]( [Mueller Report Newsletter with Garrett M. Graff]( 2.25.19 Special counsel Robert Mueller’s expansive [sentencing memo]( for Paul Manafort, released over the weekend, stretches to more than 800 pages and outlines what prosecutors call “an array of felonies” over the course of a decade. As Mueller’s team wrote, “His criminal actions were bold, some of which were committed while under a spotlight due to his work as the [Trump] campaign chairman and, later, while he was on bail … [Manafort’s conduct] reflects a hardened adherence to committing crimes and lack of remorse.” Manafort’s crimes, prosecutors say, were not minor—the charges of witness tampering go to the heart of the sanctity of the justice system—and there’s nothing in Manafort’s background that would mitigate his behavior. In fact, the government says it can’t find any [comparable]( criminal: “Given the breadth of Manafort’s criminal activity, the government has not located a comparable case with the unique array of crimes and aggravating factors,” prosecutors wrote earlier this month. As an aside in the memo, too, Mueller suggests that Judge Amy Berman Jackson could also order Manafort to pay back taxes, including penalties and interest. If that comes to fruition, it would add to the revenue total of Mueller’s probe; one of the most unexpected twists of the case has been that the special counsel’s probe has been trending towards a positive cash flow. Even though the probe has [cost at least $25 million]( closer to $30 million by now—Mueller’s legal actions have actually collected around $50 million in penalties, including about $45 million in forfeitures from Manafort and a $4.6 million fine from the law firm Skadden Arps for its participation in part of Manafort’s scheme. That “profit” underscores a message that ProPublica reporter [Jesse Eisinger]( has been trying to make for years: Eisinger has long argued the Justice Department is too easy on white-collar crime, a case he laid out at convincing length in his book [The Chickenshit Club](. The deeper we get into the Trump story, both through federal investigations and muckraking reporters, the clearer it is that more aggressive federal and [state]( prosecution of [tax fraud]( wire fraud, bank fraud, and [general fraud]( would likely have targeted many of the key figures of the Trump world years ago, as would stricter enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires lobbyists acting on behalf of a foreign government to register with the US government and disclose their work and funding. Beyond the money laundering scheme that led to the prosecution of Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, Trump’s attorney and fixer Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty to his own tax fraud scheme, and the charges against Manafort, Gates, and national security advisor Michael Flynn have all included their illegal work on behalf of foreign governments, both before and during the Trump campaign. One of the oddest conclusions of the Mueller probe is that Paul Manafort—who now could face the equivalent of a life sentence in prison—could still be out there laundering money today unscathed and unexamined but for his decision to sign on with the Trump campaign. Garrett M. Graff | Contributing Editor, WIRED Eager for more? Michael Cohen will testify publicly before Congress this Wednesday, February 27. Check [wired.com]( for more details. [Robert Mueller] special counsel 7 Scenarios for How the Mueller Probe Might 'Wrap Up' By Garrett M. Graff Reports say that the special counsel will be "wrapping up" his investigation soon. Here's what that might actually mean. [Former FBI Director Andrew McCabe] books The (Non-Trump) Surprise Inside Andrew McCabe's Memoir By Garrett M. Graff In The Threat, the former FBI deputy director paints a familiar portrait of Trump, but deepens our understanding of a dark time for agency. [Paul Manafort listening to a call on an iPhone] Oops Paul Manafort Is Terrible With Technology By Louise Matsakis The former Trump campaign chair keeps getting in trouble thanks at least in part to subpar digital security. [Advertisement]( [Powered by LiveIntent]( [AdChoices]( Get WIRED Get 12 months of WIRED for just $10. Unlimited access to WIRED.com. Subscribe now [Advertisement]( [Powered by LiveIntent]( [AdChoices]( [Wired Magazine]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, [wired@newsletters.wired.com]( to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Copyright © Condé Nast 2019. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.