By Peter Maas
This is a tale of two defendants and two systems of justice.
Christmas was coming, and Paul Manafort wanted to spend the holiday
with his extended family in the Hamptons, where he owns a four-acre
estate that has 10 bedrooms, a pool, a tennis court, a basketball court,
a putting green, and a guest cottage. But Manafort was under house
arrest in northern Virginia. Suspected of
colluding with the Russian government, the former campaign manager for
Donald Trump had been indicted on a dozen charges involving conspiracy,
money laundering, bank fraud, and lying to federal investigators.
A lobbyist who became mysteriously wealthy over the years, Manafort
avoided jail by posting $10 million in bond, though he was confined to
his luxury condo in Alexandria, Virginia. That’s why, in mid-December,
his lawyers asked the judge to make an exception. Manafort’s $2.7 million Virginia home could
not provide “adequate accommodations” for his holiday guests, some of
whom would have difficulty traveling because of health problems, the
lawyers stated. A day later, the judge agreed to the request. Manafort
could have his Christmas getaway in the Hamptons.
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Source: The Intercept_
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