Friday Court Filing Could Provide Lots Of Details About Mueller Investigation
Robert Mueller and his investigative team have a Friday deadline to explain why Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, was accused of lying to investigators and breaking his cooperation deal.
In another filing, Mueller’s office and New York state federal prosecutors must provide memos to recommend a sentence for Michael Cohen. These filings are likely to provide details about the extent of Cohen’s cooperation with investigators, according to CNN.
Michael Cohen was Trump’s personal attorney for about 12 years. He admitted that he lied in his 2017 testimony to Congress about when communication with Russia stopped on the Trump Tower real estate deal. He also said that during the campaign, he had a 20-minute conversation with an official at the Kremlin to get the Russian government’s aid in securing funding for the project.
Michael Flynn is also in the mix, and has cooperated with the ongoing investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. The investigation is trying to determine how much, if any, collusion took place between Donald Trump and/or his campaign, and Russia.
Earlier this week, Mueller’s office said that Flynn provided “substantial assistance” to the investigations. Mueller is going to recommend that Flynn receive no time in jail.
Michael Flynn was briefly the National Security Adviser. Donald Trump fired him roughly one month after appointing him.
Many have wondered why Manafort’s deal with the special counsel’s office fell apart. Friday’s filing should answer that question. According to a previous filing, Manafort lied “on a variety of subject matters.”
Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress last week. He was not truthful about the Trump Tower project in Moscow, and how long he was in discussions about the project. Cohen previously pleaded guilty to eight counts in a case brought by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office.
Cohen will be sentenced in both cases on December 12. However, some information in the legal filings is likely to be redacted, according to NBC News.
Mueller’s office says that Manafort violated his plea deal, according to NPR. One of the Friday filings will contain more information about Manafort’s “crimes and lies.”
Manafort’s lawyers have disputed the claims, and say that the former campaign manager provided truthful information. Manafort may already be sentenced to life imprisonment due to a conviction he received in a separate case in August.
Cohen, on the other hand, has met with investigators several times. According to his lawyer, Guy Petrillo, Cohen will continue to cooperate with the investigation.
