Manafort’s Plea Deal Is Pardon-Proof

“The plea deal special counsel Robert Mueller granted to Paul Manafort on Friday appears built to be pardon-proof,” Politico reports.

“That doesn’t mean President Trump won’t try to legally absolve Manafort anyway, a step the president has considered taking for months. But Friday‘s events mean Trump’s ability to contain the legal damage from his former campaign chairman is now severely limited.”

”Some attorneys also believe the deal Mueller gave Manafort — accepting a guilty plea to just two of seven charges he was facing — signals that the former Trump campaign chief didn’t just agree to answer prosecutors’ questions but produced answers Mueller’s team found useful to some aspect of a case it is actively pursuing.”