by Joe Callen
In a stunning, unexpected ruling, a judge on Wednesday tossed out New York State charges of mortgage fraud against Paul Manafort because of ‘double jeopardy’ laws.
This is a huge victory for Paul Manafort, who remains in custody on federal charges, because this opens a way for Trump to issue him a presidential pardon.
And not just for Manafort: this ruling throws a legal hand grenade into the entire Democrat strategy of punishing former Trump aides and supporters with state charges to bypass the president’s strictly Federal pardon powers.
Manafort, 70, is currently serving a seven and half year prison sentence on federal charges for violating FARA related to his Ukrainian lobbying, tax evasion and bank fraud after Mueller and his corrupt “pit bull” Andrew Weissmann hunted him down.
Crooked Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced state charges against Manafort back in March just minutes after the former Trump campaign chairman was sentenced for the second time on federal charges.
The anti-Trump jihadists in the Southern District of New York hatched a master plot to go around ‘double jeopardy’ laws. This way Manafort would still serve prison time if Trump were to issue a presidential pardon.
That plan has now been nuked by the judge.
Manafort pleaded not guilty in June and his lawyers asked for the case to be thrown out because of ‘double jeopardy’ laws — and a judge on Wednesday blew up the fraud case in the SDNY because it overlapped with the federal charges.
The furious Manhattan DA has vowed to appeal the ruling.
“We will appeal today’s decision and will continue working to ensure that Mr. Manafort is held accountable for the criminal conduct against the People of New York that is alleged in the indictment,” the DA’s office said.
Manafort last week was rushed to the hospital for a ‘cardiac event’.
Many supporters are urging President Trump to go “scorched earth” against the “coup-plotters” and pardon Manafort, Roger Stone, General Mike Flynn and start locking up everyone involved in Spygate.
This is developing news…we will update this article as new information comes in…
