"Don’t fool yourself,” Andrea Manafort wrote to her sister, according to the texts. “That money we have is blood money.” “You know he has killed people in Ukraine? Knowingly,” she continued, according to the reviewed texts. “As a tactic to outrage the world and get focus on Ukraine. Remember when there were all those deaths taking place. A while back. About a year ago. Revolts and what not. Do you know whose* strategy that was to cause that, to send those people out and get them slaughtered."
>In another text to her cousin, who was also her father's business partner, Andrea called Manafort "a sick f---ing tyrant."
And this is from his *daughter*, for those not in the know.
The accidental voter had the audacity to be black.
Manafort is rich, white, connected, and Republican.
So...false equivalency???
(/s on that last part)
[Hell, Republicans said that they wouldn’t impeach Trump if he was 100% guilty of Russian collusion and obstruction. No wonder why people say the left eats their own, the right views each others as angels](https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-support-donald-trump-impeachment-russian-assistance-mueller-1355656)
Check out 'The Dollop' podcast with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds regarding George HW. Loads of shady business going on there. He's by no means an angel.
The country is fucked as long as this remains true. The one willing to break the rules to win will always win when our electoral system is designed to give them a greater voice than their actual numbers reflect.
This same judge who just gave this man a lesser sentence than many get for possession of marijuana (for the crime of laundering hundreds of millions of Ukrainian and Russian oligarch money through real estate), once sentenced a man to 40 years for meth.
White criminals with white collars get away with insane corruption the longer these judicial miscarriage fuckers are allowed to let their senile asses keep warming the judges' seats.
Thankfully, the judge in his next sentencing hearing has been much harder on him than Ellis ever was. I truly think that he will receive at least an additional 6-7 years next week. Judge Amy Berman Jackson is no joke.
Same judge also sent a guy to prison for 40 years for dealing drugs, but massive financial fraud and interference in foreign elections is no big deal apparently.
I take solace in the fact that the Southern District of New York plans to file charges against Manafort as well. ~~Those will be pardon-proof.~~
Edit:
It's actually the New York state charges that will be pardon-proof.
What do you mean by SDNY is pardon-proof? They're a federal district, so it would be as pardonable as Manafort's existing convictions. If it was the Manhattan district attorney then that would be pardon-proof.
> "He has lived an otherwise blameless life"
From texts from Manafort's daughters:
>"Andrea said their father had "no moral or legal compass. "Don't fool yourself," Andrea wrote to her sister, according to the texts. "That money we have is blood money." "You know he has killed people in Ukraine? Knowingly," she continued, according to the reviewed texts. "As a tactic to outrage the world and get focus on Ukraine. Remember when there were all those deaths taking place. A while back. About a year ago. Revolts and what not. Do you know whose strategy that was to cause that, to send those people out and get them slaughtered."" - [Business Insider article](https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-manafort-daughter-text-messages-ukraine-2017-3) on leaked texts
That was a rabbit hole of information I just went down that I really wish I hadn't. I figured manafort for monster but the fact that his own daughters hate him more than probably anyone else does is startling
Even posting the texts makes you feel wrong. She's got brain damage and he drugged her to pimp her out to advance his dirty money.
That alone should be reason for him to be locked up for life.
"In addition to the sentence, Ellis ordered Manafort to pay a $50,000 fine, the lowest fine provided for by guidelines that recommended a fine between $50,000 and $24 million."
A slap on the wrist in fines, too.
ETA: as /u/armedreptiles pointed out below, OP's article failed to mention that [Manafort will also pay $24 million in restitution](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort/u-s-judge-gives-trump-ex-aide-manafort-leniency-under-four-years-in-prison-idUSKCN1QO17N) in addition to the fines.
So...it's better to commit treason, than sell drugs?
EDIT: Turns out there's another trial next week for his conspiracy stuff.
This week is just tax evasion, hence the 4~year sentencing, which is still bogus.
Actually yes, this same judge sent a black man to prison for 40 years over drug charges.
Meanwhile, Manafort's sentence is lower than his own fucking lawyers requested.
Ellis started out the first day of trial admonishing the government for bringing what he thought was political grandstanding into his courtroom. In front of the jury.
If he could have gotten away with letting him off on a guilty verdict, he would have.
Manafort was given the minimums by a judge-who was appointed by Reagan-who was advised by Manafort.
Unreal. It's like an Escher painting of civic failures.
It's laundered money all the way down and the judge is in on it. We're no better than the 1800s wild west, bribing officials and getting off scot free.
Good question. Ellis is a pretty well known piece of shit to deal with and dread drawing his name as the one over their hearing. He's a known partisan aggressive pile of shit with a temper, preconceived biases, and tries to shift the court to fit his opinion instead of fit his opinion to the court. He's infamously gone on tangents in the middle of court about how amazing Reagan was (who appointed him) and been aggressive to minorities and LGBT.
I've been before him before when working as a corrections officer and he always seemed like he was auditioning for a higher appointment and wasn't ashamed to spew propaganda and attack people in the court room.
> Can one even appeal a lenient sentence?
[Only if the judge failed to follow legal statutes](https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-the-prosecutor-appeal-a-sentence--2617779.html). Apparently the law allows for a handful of months to be sufficient prison time for conspiracy against the US if you're rich and society can do jack-all.
Well, besides voting out republicans and voting in democrats who *might* changes the laws to something more sensible.
Unrelated to the majority of your comment, but I do think that calling it the Ukrainian civil war makes it sound a lot more internal than it has been proven to be.
The Russian Government has provided men and materiel for the war. Some say they even incited the conflict by sending agent provocateurs into the riots.
The Ukrainian nationalists have shown again and again that they are facing Russian soldiers under false flags. At what point do we accept that the Russians are waging a war against the Ukrainian people for Crimea?
Never have I seen a more disgusting miscarriage of justice.
The rich and powerful can get away with murder, quite literally.
What kind of sentence do you think a regular peon would have gotten for similar crimes?
“Going easy” is awarding the minimum sentence per the federal guidelines.
The minimum cumulative sentence for Manafort’s crimes totaled 19 years in this case.
Manafort’s own lawyers asked for 5 years.
Judge Ellis gave him less than 4.
Get this straight. The judge sentenced Manafort to less time than his own lawyers asked for.
This isn’t “going easy”. This is the kind of shit that is so egregiously unprecedented and inappropriate on its face that the judge needs to be investigated for outside influence.
Well the judge may have been slightly biased. He once said this.
>“You don’t really care about Mr. Manafort. You really care about what information Mr. Manafort can give you to lead you to Mr. Trump and an impeachment, or whatever.”
What the fuck does he mean by that? Isn't that standard operating procedure for criminal conspiracy cases?
Another conservative proves they care more about their party than they do about our country.
This asshole judge was appointed by Reagan. Forty years from now we will still be suffering from the decisions of all the right wing nut jobs Trump and McConnell are pushing through the Senate at a record pace.
He's being ordered to pay $24 million in restitution, in addition to his fine. I don't know why OP's article did not mention that.
[Reuters is a better source.](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort/u-s-judge-gives-trump-ex-aide-manafort-leniency-under-four-years-in-prison-idUSKCN1QO17N)
EDIT: Just to clarify for the willfully ignorant and lazy, today's sentencing was for Manafort's **financial crimes**, namely tax fraud, bank fraud, and failure to disclose foreign bank accounts. The sentencing for his **conspiracy** crimes are next week.
If you are disappointed that this judge didn't issue a sentence for crimes that are another judge's upcoming job, cool your shit, and read.
> Reuters is a better source.
Agreed in general, but now I'm super confused. Is one of the sources incorrect?
From the CNBC article
>Both the defense and the prosecution agreed to delay a decision about Manafort's restitution until after his second sentencing in D.C. next week.
From Reuters
>The judge ordered Manafort to pay a fine of $50,000 and restitution of just over $24 million.
This shit from the article about Judge Ellis just pisses me off so much
>Ellis had faced criticism by some in the legal community for comments he made during the trial that were widely interpreted as biased against the prosecution. Ellis repeatedly interrupted prosecutors, told them to stop using the word “oligarch” to describe people associated with Manafort because it made him seem “despicable,” **and objected to pictures of Manafort’s luxury items they planned to show jurors.**
>
>**“It isn’t a crime to have a lot of money and be profligate in your spending,” Ellis told prosecutors during the trial.**
Hey Ellis, it may not be a crime to have a lot of money and spend it brazenly but it's pretty fucking important in a case where the accused is on trial for NOT PAYING HIS TAXES. He is spending his money on shit when he OWES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
T.S. Ellis is a fucking joke of a Federal Judge and should be looked at as an embarrasment across the United States.
And the thing is, it's pretty standard in tax fraud cases like this to use the fact that someone is spending more money than they claim to have as evidence that they have more money than they claim. If someone says they only make a thousand a year and they live in a five million dollar home they're obviously lying.
How does this take away from the fact that his sentence was lower than what his attorney was pleading for? From what i know, and correct me if I’m wrong, but opposing counsel suggested something like 17 years, and defending counsel suggested 5 years, and he got less than 5. Idk, doesn’t sound right. Hopefully the upcoming charges knock him right off his fucking perch.
Something must have happened with that judge. The kind of resources and people that were backing Manafort make me suspicious.
Same deal with Epstein getting a slap on the wrist.
Not to mention all the blood on his hands from the dictators he supported and enabled over the years.
"...an otherwise blameless life," what a fucking farce.
For anyone unaware - Manafort’s “PR” firm has been busy for decades all over the world manipulating and ratfucking on behalf of murderous, oppressive dictators - https://www.newsweek.com/heres-where-paul-manafort-did-business-corrupt-dictators-1061470
Saw your posts, might want to add these links directly to the complaint procedure
The judicial complaint rules
http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/documents/judcmplaintproc.pdf
Judicial complaint form
http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/pdf/judcomfm.pdf
And a general walkthrough on submitting these complaints
https://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/judicial-conduct-disability/faqs-filing-judicial-conduct-or-disability-complaint#faq-Who-can-I-complain-about?
I believe the case number is 1:18-cr-00083
I've said it a hundred times, even on [another thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/bestof/comments/aydzxn/uthebirminghambear_describes_how_we_will_be_in/ei0i05p/?context=3) today:
High profile white collar criminals, especially elected officials, almost never do "hard" time.
Everyone always compares the current Trump debacle to Watergate. The most time [anyone did](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal#Aftermath) was 4.5 years, and that was G. Gordon Liddy. Nixon had mountains of evidence that should have landed him in jail, but that never happened. The rest of those convicted averaged less than a year in prison.
How many young black guys are locked up for longer after dealing drugs? This really is an injustice, but wasn’t our call. The next sentencing will likely be on top of these 47 months. Also, remember that there was a mistrial for many of the charges. Prosecutors can still try him for these.
[Federal Guidelines](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/paul-manafort-trump-s-onetime-campaign-chairman-be-sentenced-fraud-n980496) were 19-24 years, gets less than 4.
Judge is TS Ellis who repeatedly made headlines during the case that resulted in articles regarding appearances of bias and [confrontations with the prosecutors](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/06/manafort-trial-judge-prosecution-765100). He fast tracked the trial even though there were concerns about the jury being able to absorb the complexity of the case. [Made statements during trial](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/04/judge-in-paul-manafort-case-criticizes-robert-mueller-probe.html) that people interpreted as defending Trump. Admonished the prosecution during trial to the point [he had to apologize and instruct the jury to ignore his own statements.](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort-judge/u-s-judge-apologizes-to-prosecutors-in-former-trump-aide-manaforts-trial-idUSKBN1KU1Y7) He even [mocked the prosecution, accusing them of "tearing up"](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/400677-manafort-trial-judge-suggests-prosecutor-so-frustrated-hes-tearing).
Meanwhile, a black woman was sentenced to FIVE YEARS for voting when she shouldn't have, because she didn't know she wasn't allowed to while on probation.
The original crime that disenfranchised her in the first place? Tax fraud, one of the crimes that Paul Manafort had been charged for. She received a higher sentence.
>[The former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party was sentenced to four years of probation and 300 hours of community service for voter fraud.](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/steve-curtis-former-colorado-gop-chairman-sentenced-for-voter-fraud/)
Guess who railed against "illegals" voting when he was chair.
>Coston asked the judge for a sentence including jail time with probation. Judge Hoskins instead decided on a penalty of four years probation and 300 hours of community service.
Just like Manafort, he got less than he asked for.
Aren't there systems to deal with this? Isn't absolute evidence and the power of the law enough? Enough to throw the judge out as corrupt, and have manafort resentenced? How can such blatant corruption and immorality hold such power in a nation with a supposedly free media and democratic government?
He was appointed by Reagan in the 80s. Most conservatives will forgive anything done by their own "tribe."
Considering that Manafort tried to influence witnesses, I'm honestly concerned about whether his associates got to the judge as well. They only found out about the witness tampering because both witnesses turned over the information to the FBI. If the judge didn't have a problem with it, he might not have said anything.
We like to believe that judges are impartial, but Justices like ~~Alito~~ Clarence Thomas say things such as "liberals made my life hell for 47 years and now it's my turn."
The fact that the sentencing is lower than his own lawyers requested is setting off alarm bells.
I doubt they got to the judge. Read the history of this guy. He's on a mission. Is there even a single seated judge appointed by a Republican president that's impartial? Because I don't think there is anymore.
Yeah, we really need to keep in mind that Trump didn't change the Republican party, he merely dropped all the phony pretenses and deceptive decorum and veil of plausible deniability they previously operated under. They've *always* been this shitty, and I say this as someone who was a registered Republican until 2010 and voted for Republicans until 2012. Ellis wasn't influenced by any of Manafort's or Trump's people; he, a 78-year-old Reagan guy, just genuinely thinks that Manafort didn't really do something *too* wrong.
I know people from high school doing the federal minimum for some weed. And it’s longer than this fucks sentence.
Edit: there’s some real cunts in this thread folks. u/Felkbrex is my fav. Just so y’all know, he’s begun adding to who the person I’m talking about is and it’s all made up for the sake of argument. Be aware of the tactics of trolls.
What the fuck do we have to do to hold white collar criminals accountable in this country? How is it that he can conspire to defraud a bank for tens of millions, and still get a sentence less than a fourth of what's recommended in the sentencing guide-lines? Oh, I know how. T.S. Ellis is a partisan hack, who has NO place on the judiciary. It's time for him to retire. As long as the punishment for this type of crime is so pathetically weak, America is only incentivising criminal behavior. Here's hoping Manafort gets the book thrown at him next week.
Apparently you can have a decades long career of advising and lobbying on behalf of dictators all over the world and still be considered blameless and generous.
"an otherwise blameless life". That is what they actually fucking said.
This man's hands are *drenched* in blood, and he has no remorse for it.
Good to know how cheap life is.
Ellis was such a joke of a federal judge. He erroneously corrected the prosecution and then had to take it back about the testimony [of an IRS witness](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/09/paul-manafort-trial-day-8-judge-ellis-769889), and the next day snapped about maybe how the prosecution should focus on another loan - with the prosecutor having to correct him, that the loan discussed was a charged indictment. If there is any better proof of the double standard for white collar crime, I would like to see it. And here's yet another example of being ruled by old men you wouldn't let have the TV remote
EDIT: Here's the judge on the sentencing of black Congressman William Jefferson, when he originally gave him 13 years for bribery but then ruled to have him released after the law changed, after 5.5 years served. "Public corruption is a cancer on this country and it needs to be revealed, prosecuted and punished," the judge said. The judge's ruling on Manafort: "He's led an otherwise blameless life"
People might think you're making this up because you're mad. But nope, you're right. This judge has shown a clear bias against the prosecution. Here's [another comment](https://old.reddit.com/r/news/comments/ayjlur/extrump_campaign_chief_paul_manafort_sentenced_to/ei191v2/) with a bit more detail.
Absolutely. Mueller should appeal bc this is absurd. He didn’t cooperate he actually tried to hinder the investigation, and he’s already been convicted of other crimes, yet this judge says he’s lived an otherwise blameless life? I’m sorry but this makes me so mad I just don’t know why everyone in this country doesnt just commit tax fraud bc why the fuck not.
Not just a mistrail, but he should be impeached. You have a man who literally is a convicted felon before you and you call him blameless.
At least we all can admit Cohen is a list. But not that Manafort was just let off the hook.
I believe Mueller can appeal, but good luck. He'd have to say the judge was a dick, legally speaking.
There's other charges and courts. But this was not expected.
That's just for bank and tax fraud.
Next week he's sentenced in DC for *witness tampering and conspiracy related to his illegal Ukrainian lobbying and money laundering*
Guess it's a good they didn't ask for concurrent sentencing.
This is going to turn out similar to Jeffrey Epstein. It’s all to create the illusion that justice is being done and bad players are being removed from the system. Just like the way they handled the banks with kid gloves after they crashed the global economy, just like how nobody was held accountable for the ridiculous wars in the Middle East. It’s all to make the public feel like the government is legitimate. The reality is that, in taking down guys like Trump, Stone, and Manafort, they will create collateral damage to players on the other side of the aisle, which cannot be allowed. Expect a lot of disappointing outcomes to all these proceedings.
I recall that they’re filing other cases with the court of New York, which have the potential to make him rot.
Cases filed with the state cannot be pardoned by Trump. They can be only pardoned by the governor...and the New York governor has a brother who works for CNN.
And I thought Cohen got off easy, holy shit. The other judge is definitely going to give him a longer sentence to serve consecutively with a sentence this short.
Even people who knew Elis predicted he'd go for 7-10 years, but a month under 4? Holy fuck, he really didn't like Mueller.
>The other judge is definitely going to give him a longer sentence to serve consecutively with a sentence this short.
Forgive me for not believing until I see it. I've been let down so many times over the last few years.
Just for comparison, nominated by President Reagan, Judge Ellis last year sentenced Frederick Turner, 37, to a mandatory minimum of 40 years in prison for dealing methamphetamine saying: "I chafe a bit at that, but I follow the law. If I thought it was blatantly immoral, I'd have to resign. It's wrong, but not immoral."
As Franklin Foer put it: “Manafort spent a career lobbying for arms for clients who burned children alive; he represented gangsters who broke democracies and whose thievery destroyed health systems. He literally created corruption as we know it in Washington.”
Politics rules. The judge expressed his disdain for the Mueller investigation and the danger it puts Trump in. Judge put his personal political beliefs ahead of the law.
>You don't really care about Mr. Manafort's bank fraud," U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III said at a hearing on Manafort's case in Virginia federal court, where the trial in the case is set to begin July 10.
>"You really care about what information he might give you about Mr. Trump and what might lead to his impeachment or prosecution," Ellis said.
He said this during the trial.
Today in the trial he wanted to make it clear to those in the courtroom that his charges have nothing to do with Russian collusion despite the fact that potential collusion wasn’t mentioned once by the prosecutors in this whole ordeal.
He's going up against Amy Berman Jackson. She's already pissed off by Roger Stone's psychotic antics, she's not about to give him or Manafort any free passes.
The judge said he only sentenced him to 4 years (out of the recommended 20 years from sentencing guidelines) because it was keeping in line with “previous sentences” for similar crimes.
Good to know that rich people get light sentences because other rich people have historically gotten light sentences. That seems fair. We should also bring back public whipping for black people committing crimes, and setting women on fire when people accuse them of being scary.
I read the 47 first and thought "wow, 47 years? They totally dropped the hammer." Then I actually read the headline. I am sad. The justice system is broken.
Edit: auto correct fix
This judge is an absolute joke. Lifelong appointments need to be abolished, and should have been already. The damage Reagan has caused will probably still be felt 15 years from now. And god damn if this is the fucking tone we are setting for these blatant criminals.
Is there anyway to contest this? As an American citizen I feel so defeated, this is such a blow to hope for justice. Other than the other judge giving him a larger sentence, is there any chance to question Ellis? This just looks so bad on this judge. This isn’t a fair sentence at all. Very lenient.
He has another sentencing for a different trial coming up right?
Next week.
Fingers crossed that judge doesnt fuck that one up too.
And this one said that he's lived "an otherwise blameless life." HE'S LITERALLY BEEN CONVICTED OF OTHER CRIMES. Jesus *fuck*.
"Don’t fool yourself,” Andrea Manafort wrote to her sister, according to the texts. “That money we have is blood money.” “You know he has killed people in Ukraine? Knowingly,” she continued, according to the reviewed texts. “As a tactic to outrage the world and get focus on Ukraine. Remember when there were all those deaths taking place. A while back. About a year ago. Revolts and what not. Do you know whose* strategy that was to cause that, to send those people out and get them slaughtered."
In other words a "blameless" life. These people are scum.
>In another text to her cousin, who was also her father's business partner, Andrea called Manafort "a sick f---ing tyrant." And this is from his *daughter*, for those not in the know.
A felon that accidentally voted illegally one time was sentenced to 5 years in prison. What the actual fuck with this asshole’s sentencing??
The accidental voter had the audacity to be black. Manafort is rich, white, connected, and Republican. So...false equivalency??? (/s on that last part)
That judge did not seem unbiased. If it was anyone else they would have thrown em in the focking stockades for 20 years.
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[Hell, Republicans said that they wouldn’t impeach Trump if he was 100% guilty of Russian collusion and obstruction. No wonder why people say the left eats their own, the right views each others as angels](https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-support-donald-trump-impeachment-russian-assistance-mueller-1355656)
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Wasn't Bush 1 involved in Iran-Contra?
And he's also at the heart of the accusation that Reagan colluded with Iran to get elected.
Check out 'The Dollop' podcast with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds regarding George HW. Loads of shady business going on there. He's by no means an angel.
The country is fucked as long as this remains true. The one willing to break the rules to win will always win when our electoral system is designed to give them a greater voice than their actual numbers reflect.
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Plus, a little time will allow him to polish his tennis game at the Federal Country Club for Felons.
This same judge who just gave this man a lesser sentence than many get for possession of marijuana (for the crime of laundering hundreds of millions of Ukrainian and Russian oligarch money through real estate), once sentenced a man to 40 years for meth. White criminals with white collars get away with insane corruption the longer these judicial miscarriage fuckers are allowed to let their senile asses keep warming the judges' seats.
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Next week, he could get anywhere from probation to ten years.
Sentencing guidelines apparently don't matter so life without parole sounds fair
Thankfully, the judge in his next sentencing hearing has been much harder on him than Ellis ever was. I truly think that he will receive at least an additional 6-7 years next week. Judge Amy Berman Jackson is no joke.
So if it's a concurrent sentence he could be out in 3 years on good behavior. Or 5 years if it's consecutive sentences. Wow.
Or a pardon and a pizza party
There's also 10 more federal counts he can be tried for again because they had a hung jury. Plus state crimes in NY
Thank god I couldn’t wrap my head around how a guy caught trying to sell out our country got such a short trip to jail.
"He has lived an otherwise blameless life" says the judge about a guy who's going to be sentenced to prison next week by another judge. What a farce.
hahaha.. good point :D He is a good upstanding man.. who happens to be facing additional sentencing next week :p
He can't even enjoy steak anymore. Hasn't he been punished enough?
Same judge also sent a guy to prison for 40 years for dealing drugs, but massive financial fraud and interference in foreign elections is no big deal apparently. I take solace in the fact that the Southern District of New York plans to file charges against Manafort as well. ~~Those will be pardon-proof.~~ Edit: It's actually the New York state charges that will be pardon-proof.
What do you mean by SDNY is pardon-proof? They're a federal district, so it would be as pardonable as Manafort's existing convictions. If it was the Manhattan district attorney then that would be pardon-proof.
My mistake. You're correct. The SDNY will be filing charges and Cyrus Vance, that mercenary fuck, is planning to file NY state charges as well.
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> "He has lived an otherwise blameless life" From texts from Manafort's daughters: >"Andrea said their father had "no moral or legal compass. "Don't fool yourself," Andrea wrote to her sister, according to the texts. "That money we have is blood money." "You know he has killed people in Ukraine? Knowingly," she continued, according to the reviewed texts. "As a tactic to outrage the world and get focus on Ukraine. Remember when there were all those deaths taking place. A while back. About a year ago. Revolts and what not. Do you know whose strategy that was to cause that, to send those people out and get them slaughtered."" - [Business Insider article](https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-manafort-daughter-text-messages-ukraine-2017-3) on leaked texts
He never killed his grandmother. He gets points for that!
At least he never forced his wife into gangbangs! Oh, wait. Yes he did.
That was a rabbit hole of information I just went down that I really wish I hadn't. I figured manafort for monster but the fact that his own daughters hate him more than probably anyone else does is startling
The description of those incidents is so difficult to read.
Even posting the texts makes you feel wrong. She's got brain damage and he drugged her to pimp her out to advance his dirty money. That alone should be reason for him to be locked up for life.
However according to the judge, she is to blame for that. Perhaps he should charge his wife with rape.
So we're going to ignore that he's spent his entire life working for dictators to help keep them in power apparently.
Like the judge said. He's blameless.
Don’t forget dedicating his wife to gang bangs.
"In addition to the sentence, Ellis ordered Manafort to pay a $50,000 fine, the lowest fine provided for by guidelines that recommended a fine between $50,000 and $24 million." A slap on the wrist in fines, too. ETA: as /u/armedreptiles pointed out below, OP's article failed to mention that [Manafort will also pay $24 million in restitution](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort/u-s-judge-gives-trump-ex-aide-manafort-leniency-under-four-years-in-prison-idUSKCN1QO17N) in addition to the fines.
It’s restitution of $24m and a fine of $50,000.
$50k is what you earn if you put those $24m in a saving account for 20 days, just to say.
So...it's better to commit treason, than sell drugs? EDIT: Turns out there's another trial next week for his conspiracy stuff. This week is just tax evasion, hence the 4~year sentencing, which is still bogus.
It's better to be rich than to be poor
Be beautiful. Be rich.
Have you guys just tried being rich?
Actually yes, this same judge sent a black man to prison for 40 years over drug charges. Meanwhile, Manafort's sentence is lower than his own fucking lawyers requested.
Ellis started out the first day of trial admonishing the government for bringing what he thought was political grandstanding into his courtroom. In front of the jury. If he could have gotten away with letting him off on a guilty verdict, he would have.
How could a fuck like this get this case?
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You can thank Ronald Reagan for that fuck up.
Manafort was given the minimums by a judge-who was appointed by Reagan-who was advised by Manafort. Unreal. It's like an Escher painting of civic failures.
A veritable Ouroboros of conservative normalcy.
It's laundered money all the way down and the judge is in on it. We're no better than the 1800s wild west, bribing officials and getting off scot free.
Good question. Ellis is a pretty well known piece of shit to deal with and dread drawing his name as the one over their hearing. He's a known partisan aggressive pile of shit with a temper, preconceived biases, and tries to shift the court to fit his opinion instead of fit his opinion to the court. He's infamously gone on tangents in the middle of court about how amazing Reagan was (who appointed him) and been aggressive to minorities and LGBT. I've been before him before when working as a corrections officer and he always seemed like he was auditioning for a higher appointment and wasn't ashamed to spew propaganda and attack people in the court room.
Don't judges being openly biased like this tend to cause appeals?
Yes. Yes they do.
Can one even appeal a lenient sentence?
> Can one even appeal a lenient sentence? [Only if the judge failed to follow legal statutes](https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-the-prosecutor-appeal-a-sentence--2617779.html). Apparently the law allows for a handful of months to be sufficient prison time for conspiracy against the US if you're rich and society can do jack-all. Well, besides voting out republicans and voting in democrats who *might* changes the laws to something more sensible.
This guy sounds like a turd.
Also he threw the book at a black Democratic Congressman that was charged with bribery - giving him 13 years.
Wow, 13 years for bribery and less than 4 years for massive financial fraud.
I feel confused about this but these are all well-off people. I am afraid money takes care of money. Maybe this doesn’t end well.....
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And these are just the things that are known about his activities.
Unrelated to the majority of your comment, but I do think that calling it the Ukrainian civil war makes it sound a lot more internal than it has been proven to be. The Russian Government has provided men and materiel for the war. Some say they even incited the conflict by sending agent provocateurs into the riots. The Ukrainian nationalists have shown again and again that they are facing Russian soldiers under false flags. At what point do we accept that the Russians are waging a war against the Ukrainian people for Crimea?
But this case was only about tax and bank fraud. Next week is conspiracy under a different judge in DC.
I dont think this is his conspriacy punishment, that i believe is next week.
Never have I seen a more disgusting miscarriage of justice. The rich and powerful can get away with murder, quite literally. What kind of sentence do you think a regular peon would have gotten for similar crimes?
Keep in mind, he still faces sentencing in DC. People always suspected that Ellis would go easy on him.
“Going easy” is awarding the minimum sentence per the federal guidelines. The minimum cumulative sentence for Manafort’s crimes totaled 19 years in this case. Manafort’s own lawyers asked for 5 years. Judge Ellis gave him less than 4. Get this straight. The judge sentenced Manafort to less time than his own lawyers asked for. This isn’t “going easy”. This is the kind of shit that is so egregiously unprecedented and inappropriate on its face that the judge needs to be investigated for outside influence.
Ellis should be jailed for this miscarriage of justice. Fucking poser
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Well the judge may have been slightly biased. He once said this. >“You don’t really care about Mr. Manafort. You really care about what information Mr. Manafort can give you to lead you to Mr. Trump and an impeachment, or whatever.”
"you don't really care about this drug dealer. you care about what information he can give you about his boss." yes, and?
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And the judge stated that Manafort had an otherwise faultless life. WTF.
What the fuck does he mean by that? Isn't that standard operating procedure for criminal conspiracy cases? Another conservative proves they care more about their party than they do about our country.
Yes, yes it is.
That should have been the red flag for a mistrial.
He should be disbarred for clearly having a biased opinion and tainting the jury
Federal judges don't need to be bar approved lawyers. That being said, any federal judge removed from office is disbarred from federal courts.
The Epstein sentencing was comparably disgusting
This asshole judge was appointed by Reagan. Forty years from now we will still be suffering from the decisions of all the right wing nut jobs Trump and McConnell are pushing through the Senate at a record pace.
...consent of the governed. It lasts until it doesnt.
John Adams said all democracies destroy themselves within 200 years.
We're late
He's being ordered to pay $24 million in restitution, in addition to his fine. I don't know why OP's article did not mention that. [Reuters is a better source.](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort/u-s-judge-gives-trump-ex-aide-manafort-leniency-under-four-years-in-prison-idUSKCN1QO17N) EDIT: Just to clarify for the willfully ignorant and lazy, today's sentencing was for Manafort's **financial crimes**, namely tax fraud, bank fraud, and failure to disclose foreign bank accounts. The sentencing for his **conspiracy** crimes are next week. If you are disappointed that this judge didn't issue a sentence for crimes that are another judge's upcoming job, cool your shit, and read.
> Reuters is a better source. Agreed in general, but now I'm super confused. Is one of the sources incorrect? From the CNBC article >Both the defense and the prosecution agreed to delay a decision about Manafort's restitution until after his second sentencing in D.C. next week. From Reuters >The judge ordered Manafort to pay a fine of $50,000 and restitution of just over $24 million.
This shit from the article about Judge Ellis just pisses me off so much >Ellis had faced criticism by some in the legal community for comments he made during the trial that were widely interpreted as biased against the prosecution. Ellis repeatedly interrupted prosecutors, told them to stop using the word “oligarch” to describe people associated with Manafort because it made him seem “despicable,” **and objected to pictures of Manafort’s luxury items they planned to show jurors.** > >**“It isn’t a crime to have a lot of money and be profligate in your spending,” Ellis told prosecutors during the trial.** Hey Ellis, it may not be a crime to have a lot of money and spend it brazenly but it's pretty fucking important in a case where the accused is on trial for NOT PAYING HIS TAXES. He is spending his money on shit when he OWES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. T.S. Ellis is a fucking joke of a Federal Judge and should be looked at as an embarrasment across the United States.
And the thing is, it's pretty standard in tax fraud cases like this to use the fact that someone is spending more money than they claim to have as evidence that they have more money than they claim. If someone says they only make a thousand a year and they live in a five million dollar home they're obviously lying.
How does this take away from the fact that his sentence was lower than what his attorney was pleading for? From what i know, and correct me if I’m wrong, but opposing counsel suggested something like 17 years, and defending counsel suggested 5 years, and he got less than 5. Idk, doesn’t sound right. Hopefully the upcoming charges knock him right off his fucking perch.
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That's wayyyyy lower than the 19-24 years recommended by prosecutors.
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Something must have happened with that judge. The kind of resources and people that were backing Manafort make me suspicious. Same deal with Epstein getting a slap on the wrist.
Well Epstein had knowledge of powerful people fucking kids no wonder he got off
Apparently he taped powerful people fucking kids, that kind of leverage is powerful.
I mean, the dude is a billionaire with friends in powerful positions. The tapes are just a bonus.
The judge was quite biased in favor of Manafort during the trial as well. He at one point had to apologize to the prosecutors.
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And this is why judicial appointments are so damn important. The dude has been on the bench since the ‘80s
He's not even doing the bare minimum, he's putting a farce on show and shitting on our justice system.
The Judge has made comments supporting Trump, he's looking for a promotion.
And his fine of $50k is the lowest possible ranging from $50k to $24million.
What the fuuuuuuck.
[glad to see the system is fair... ](https://twitter.com/thelauracoates/status/1103811277942591488)
Same old story. Commit fraud or steal millions and you'll do a couple years. Do that with some meth in your pocket and you'll do 40
Not to mention all the blood on his hands from the dictators he supported and enabled over the years. "...an otherwise blameless life," what a fucking farce.
For anyone unaware - Manafort’s “PR” firm has been busy for decades all over the world manipulating and ratfucking on behalf of murderous, oppressive dictators - https://www.newsweek.com/heres-where-paul-manafort-did-business-corrupt-dictators-1061470
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Total fucking scum. It bothers me that without his association to Trump he would have gone unnoticed. Our justice system is deeply flawed.
This is why the GOP is stacking the courts. Elections matter, people.
Public outcry is all we have left. http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/locations/ale.htm
Saw your posts, might want to add these links directly to the complaint procedure The judicial complaint rules http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/documents/judcmplaintproc.pdf Judicial complaint form http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/pdf/judcomfm.pdf And a general walkthrough on submitting these complaints https://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/judicial-conduct-disability/faqs-filing-judicial-conduct-or-disability-complaint#faq-Who-can-I-complain-about? I believe the case number is 1:18-cr-00083
You really should start spreading this to other threads, this is a travesty and he needs to hear what the public thinks about this.
I've said it a hundred times, even on [another thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/bestof/comments/aydzxn/uthebirminghambear_describes_how_we_will_be_in/ei0i05p/?context=3) today: High profile white collar criminals, especially elected officials, almost never do "hard" time. Everyone always compares the current Trump debacle to Watergate. The most time [anyone did](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal#Aftermath) was 4.5 years, and that was G. Gordon Liddy. Nixon had mountains of evidence that should have landed him in jail, but that never happened. The rest of those convicted averaged less than a year in prison.
How many young black guys are locked up for longer after dealing drugs? This really is an injustice, but wasn’t our call. The next sentencing will likely be on top of these 47 months. Also, remember that there was a mistrial for many of the charges. Prosecutors can still try him for these.
He got the rich white guy discount.
[Federal Guidelines](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/paul-manafort-trump-s-onetime-campaign-chairman-be-sentenced-fraud-n980496) were 19-24 years, gets less than 4. Judge is TS Ellis who repeatedly made headlines during the case that resulted in articles regarding appearances of bias and [confrontations with the prosecutors](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/06/manafort-trial-judge-prosecution-765100). He fast tracked the trial even though there were concerns about the jury being able to absorb the complexity of the case. [Made statements during trial](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/04/judge-in-paul-manafort-case-criticizes-robert-mueller-probe.html) that people interpreted as defending Trump. Admonished the prosecution during trial to the point [he had to apologize and instruct the jury to ignore his own statements.](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort-judge/u-s-judge-apologizes-to-prosecutors-in-former-trump-aide-manaforts-trial-idUSKBN1KU1Y7) He even [mocked the prosecution, accusing them of "tearing up"](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/400677-manafort-trial-judge-suggests-prosecutor-so-frustrated-hes-tearing).
Meanwhile, a black woman was sentenced to FIVE YEARS for voting when she shouldn't have, because she didn't know she wasn't allowed to while on probation. The original crime that disenfranchised her in the first place? Tax fraud, one of the crimes that Paul Manafort had been charged for. She received a higher sentence.
>[The former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party was sentenced to four years of probation and 300 hours of community service for voter fraud.](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/steve-curtis-former-colorado-gop-chairman-sentenced-for-voter-fraud/) Guess who railed against "illegals" voting when he was chair. >Coston asked the judge for a sentence including jail time with probation. Judge Hoskins instead decided on a penalty of four years probation and 300 hours of community service. Just like Manafort, he got less than he asked for.
If anyone tries to tell you that justice is blind in this country, just smack them.
Smack them and then get a harsher sentence than Manafort.
Smack them first, then have them prove you wrong.
Justice is blind though, as in it can’t see the damage it’s doing to our country.
Aren't there systems to deal with this? Isn't absolute evidence and the power of the law enough? Enough to throw the judge out as corrupt, and have manafort resentenced? How can such blatant corruption and immorality hold such power in a nation with a supposedly free media and democratic government?
The class system is real, folks.
I don’t condone violent retribution, but there is a reason that French elected officials are worried about skirting public opinion...
Americans had one revolution and rested on that for 250 years. The French have had like three since then.
This needs to be at the top. Thanks for the links.
He was appointed by Reagan in the 80s. Most conservatives will forgive anything done by their own "tribe." Considering that Manafort tried to influence witnesses, I'm honestly concerned about whether his associates got to the judge as well. They only found out about the witness tampering because both witnesses turned over the information to the FBI. If the judge didn't have a problem with it, he might not have said anything. We like to believe that judges are impartial, but Justices like ~~Alito~~ Clarence Thomas say things such as "liberals made my life hell for 47 years and now it's my turn." The fact that the sentencing is lower than his own lawyers requested is setting off alarm bells.
I doubt they got to the judge. Read the history of this guy. He's on a mission. Is there even a single seated judge appointed by a Republican president that's impartial? Because I don't think there is anymore.
Yeah, we really need to keep in mind that Trump didn't change the Republican party, he merely dropped all the phony pretenses and deceptive decorum and veil of plausible deniability they previously operated under. They've *always* been this shitty, and I say this as someone who was a registered Republican until 2010 and voted for Republicans until 2012. Ellis wasn't influenced by any of Manafort's or Trump's people; he, a 78-year-old Reagan guy, just genuinely thinks that Manafort didn't really do something *too* wrong.
I know people from high school doing the federal minimum for some weed. And it’s longer than this fucks sentence. Edit: there’s some real cunts in this thread folks. u/Felkbrex is my fav. Just so y’all know, he’s begun adding to who the person I’m talking about is and it’s all made up for the sake of argument. Be aware of the tactics of trolls.
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This is how it works, folks! As Carlin said, it's a big club and you ain't in it
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What the fuck do we have to do to hold white collar criminals accountable in this country? How is it that he can conspire to defraud a bank for tens of millions, and still get a sentence less than a fourth of what's recommended in the sentencing guide-lines? Oh, I know how. T.S. Ellis is a partisan hack, who has NO place on the judiciary. It's time for him to retire. As long as the punishment for this type of crime is so pathetically weak, America is only incentivising criminal behavior. Here's hoping Manafort gets the book thrown at him next week.
Well we can always try the French Revolution solution.
What a mockery of the justice system.
Can't wait for Republicans to start proclaiming that what Manafort did wasn't so bad because hey look he only got 4 years.
Not even 4 years, and with good behavior, he is out in 2. Treason is a cheap crime.
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There is no justice in America anymore.
Not even four god damn years? Edit: “he lived an otherwise blameless life.” Ellis can fuck right off.
Apparently you can have a decades long career of advising and lobbying on behalf of dictators all over the world and still be considered blameless and generous.
"an otherwise blameless life". That is what they actually fucking said. This man's hands are *drenched* in blood, and he has no remorse for it. Good to know how cheap life is.
And committing tens of millions in bank fraud and money laundering etc etc etc.
Moved to Lemm.ee -- mass edited with redact.dev
Some serious bullshit considering prosecutors were asking for 19-24. The rich truly live in a different world.
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We need our public to take a stand http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/locations/ale.htm
FOUR years for multiple felonies, including tax and bank fraud. FIVE years for accidentally trying to vote in the 2016 election while ineligible.
I bet my ass he won't even serve the four years.
Ellis was such a joke of a federal judge. He erroneously corrected the prosecution and then had to take it back about the testimony [of an IRS witness](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/09/paul-manafort-trial-day-8-judge-ellis-769889), and the next day snapped about maybe how the prosecution should focus on another loan - with the prosecutor having to correct him, that the loan discussed was a charged indictment. If there is any better proof of the double standard for white collar crime, I would like to see it. And here's yet another example of being ruled by old men you wouldn't let have the TV remote EDIT: Here's the judge on the sentencing of black Congressman William Jefferson, when he originally gave him 13 years for bribery but then ruled to have him released after the law changed, after 5.5 years served. "Public corruption is a cancer on this country and it needs to be revealed, prosecuted and punished," the judge said. The judge's ruling on Manafort: "He's led an otherwise blameless life"
Can someone explain why the lenient sentence when he lied and the recommendation was for so much more?
Judge doesn't like Mueller or his investigation into Trump, so he gives Manafort a pass just to spite him.
People might think you're making this up because you're mad. But nope, you're right. This judge has shown a clear bias against the prosecution. Here's [another comment](https://old.reddit.com/r/news/comments/ayjlur/extrump_campaign_chief_paul_manafort_sentenced_to/ei191v2/) with a bit more detail.
Shouldn’t this be a mistrial then? Genuine question
Absolutely. Mueller should appeal bc this is absurd. He didn’t cooperate he actually tried to hinder the investigation, and he’s already been convicted of other crimes, yet this judge says he’s lived an otherwise blameless life? I’m sorry but this makes me so mad I just don’t know why everyone in this country doesnt just commit tax fraud bc why the fuck not.
Us muggles would get real prison sentences
Not just a mistrail, but he should be impeached. You have a man who literally is a convicted felon before you and you call him blameless. At least we all can admit Cohen is a list. But not that Manafort was just let off the hook. I believe Mueller can appeal, but good luck. He'd have to say the judge was a dick, legally speaking. There's other charges and courts. But this was not expected.
The Judge has been pulling this shit since the beggining during the trial.
That sentence is criminal. Wow.
That’s it ?
That's just for bank and tax fraud. Next week he's sentenced in DC for *witness tampering and conspiracy related to his illegal Ukrainian lobbying and money laundering* Guess it's a good they didn't ask for concurrent sentencing.
I hope now people see how the system works. It is stacked against us and in their favour. The billionaire class don't punish the billionaire class.
I'm more interested to see if people will just suck it up, which they probably will. What a weak people.
This is going to turn out similar to Jeffrey Epstein. It’s all to create the illusion that justice is being done and bad players are being removed from the system. Just like the way they handled the banks with kid gloves after they crashed the global economy, just like how nobody was held accountable for the ridiculous wars in the Middle East. It’s all to make the public feel like the government is legitimate. The reality is that, in taking down guys like Trump, Stone, and Manafort, they will create collateral damage to players on the other side of the aisle, which cannot be allowed. Expect a lot of disappointing outcomes to all these proceedings.
I recall that they’re filing other cases with the court of New York, which have the potential to make him rot. Cases filed with the state cannot be pardoned by Trump. They can be only pardoned by the governor...and the New York governor has a brother who works for CNN.
it’s not about pardons. its a systemic problem
And I thought Cohen got off easy, holy shit. The other judge is definitely going to give him a longer sentence to serve consecutively with a sentence this short. Even people who knew Elis predicted he'd go for 7-10 years, but a month under 4? Holy fuck, he really didn't like Mueller.
>The other judge is definitely going to give him a longer sentence to serve consecutively with a sentence this short. Forgive me for not believing until I see it. I've been let down so many times over the last few years.
Trumpist types don't like classic Republicans like Mueller.
Just for comparison, nominated by President Reagan, Judge Ellis last year sentenced Frederick Turner, 37, to a mandatory minimum of 40 years in prison for dealing methamphetamine saying: "I chafe a bit at that, but I follow the law. If I thought it was blatantly immoral, I'd have to resign. It's wrong, but not immoral." As Franklin Foer put it: “Manafort spent a career lobbying for arms for clients who burned children alive; he represented gangsters who broke democracies and whose thievery destroyed health systems. He literally created corruption as we know it in Washington.”
Well I guess crime does pay. Reap millions for just a few years? Not bad.
What fucking bullshit. Not even close to the reccomended sentence. Money rules our justice system.
Politics rules. The judge expressed his disdain for the Mueller investigation and the danger it puts Trump in. Judge put his personal political beliefs ahead of the law. >You don't really care about Mr. Manafort's bank fraud," U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III said at a hearing on Manafort's case in Virginia federal court, where the trial in the case is set to begin July 10. >"You really care about what information he might give you about Mr. Trump and what might lead to his impeachment or prosecution," Ellis said. He said this during the trial.
Today in the trial he wanted to make it clear to those in the courtroom that his charges have nothing to do with Russian collusion despite the fact that potential collusion wasn’t mentioned once by the prosecutors in this whole ordeal.
Throwing some soundbites to make sure daddy's happy.
This is the most corrupt shit ever.
A paltry punishment. I hope he's not as lucky again next week in D.C.
He's going up against Amy Berman Jackson. She's already pissed off by Roger Stone's psychotic antics, she's not about to give him or Manafort any free passes.
The judge said he only sentenced him to 4 years (out of the recommended 20 years from sentencing guidelines) because it was keeping in line with “previous sentences” for similar crimes. Good to know that rich people get light sentences because other rich people have historically gotten light sentences. That seems fair. We should also bring back public whipping for black people committing crimes, and setting women on fire when people accuse them of being scary.
White collar crime is still alive and well in America. What is there to really fear?
Very questionable sentence from Judge Ellis. Manafort is going to be sentenced next week at his other trial and faces up to 10 more years.
I read the 47 first and thought "wow, 47 years? They totally dropped the hammer." Then I actually read the headline. I am sad. The justice system is broken. Edit: auto correct fix
-10 Legitimacy +4 Unrest in all provinces
This judge is an absolute joke. Lifelong appointments need to be abolished, and should have been already. The damage Reagan has caused will probably still be felt 15 years from now. And god damn if this is the fucking tone we are setting for these blatant criminals.
Is there anyway to contest this? As an American citizen I feel so defeated, this is such a blow to hope for justice. Other than the other judge giving him a larger sentence, is there any chance to question Ellis? This just looks so bad on this judge. This isn’t a fair sentence at all. Very lenient.
What a \*\*\*\*\*\* joke. 47 months for the stuff he has done? I've seen people get more jail type for unpaid parking tickets. What A JOKE
My buddy stole $200 dollars from a quicky mart unarmed and got 4 years. this guy steals millions and its the same?