Jonathan Chait: “The official White House statement justifying the pardon of Paul Manafort explains that his prosecution ‘was premised on the Russian collusion hoax.’ But Trump’s pardon — a ploy so well signaled its inevitability was clear even before he stepped into the Oval Office and that he has floated for years to keep Manafort quiet — is the final proof the Russia investigation was not a hoax but a scandal Trump used his powers to thwart.”
“Trump has already pardoned Michael Flynn and commuted the sentence of Roger Stone, both of whom lied to investigators to protect him. The Manafort pardon is the final piece of his Russiagate cover-up.”
Elie Honig: “Every significant Mueller defendant who refused to cooperate (or started but then stopped) has now been pardoned.”
“Only Rick Gates and Michael Cohen — both of whom testified publicly, in court or Congress — have not been pardoned.”
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