Paul Manafort's trial began yesterday with jury selection, opening statements by prosecution and defense, and testimony of first witness. Since this was just the beginning of what is expected to be about two weeks of testimony, not much has been revealed but the defense opening statement did show their apparent tactic. They have two main ideas, the first of which is that Rick Gates, Manafort's right-hand man, was the real mastermind and instigator of anything that happened in the Republican lobbying firm the two men ran. The second idea, focused more on the tax evasion and bank fraud part of the charges, alleges that Manafort had no choice in using illegal bank reporting and fraudulent claims to get loans because his Ukrainian clients insisted that he do so.
So if someone asks you to do something that you know to be illegal, but that is the only way you can get that person's business, then you are obligated to become a criminal (sarcasm). I don't know about any of you but that sounds both like an FBI sting or the most juvenile defense in the world. It tops Giuliani's "There was no collusion but collusion isn't a crime," by at least a few degrees.
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