Paul Manafort, A Former Trump Campaign Member, Takes Guilty Plea in Russia Investigation

Even before he was elected, President Trump’s connections with Russia have dominated the news media. Most commonly, not in a positive way. There has been an ongoing investigation by Robert Mueller as to whether the Russians had something to do with the outcome of the 2016 election, but so far, there have been no clear answers. However, we are getting closer.

This past Friday, September 14,  Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, decided to “cooperate with the investigation” into Russia, which included pleading guilty to two conspiracy charges and involved attempting to tamper with a witness. Manafort had previously promised to prove his innocence of involvement with the Russians but is now taking the guilty plea.

Part of Manafort’s sudden change of stance has to do with crimes he has committed in the past. He has admitted to bank fraud, money laundering, and other work related to Ukranians who were supportive of Russians. All together, he was facing eight felony charges in Virginia alone. With his new guilty plea, these previous charges against Manafort will be dropped if he engages in “successful cooperation” with the investigation, said senior prosecutor Andrew Weissman. He will also face a maximum of only 10 years in prison. Without this plea deal, Manafort would be facing up to 20 years in prison for his crimes.

President Trump had commended Manafort in the past, calling him a “brave man,” for standing strong against prosecutors, and had even alluded to offering him a Presidential Pardon should he have been convicted of those past crimes. Now that he is pleading guilty, the White House is doing everything to stay clean and positive. They are trying to keep President Trump away from the plea deal as much as possible, saying the investigation has “nothing to do with President Trump or the Trump campaign.” This statement was made by the President’s attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani.

Hopefully, through Manafort’s testimony, there is more light brought to this incredibly confusing situation. The American people deserve to know what actually happened in the election of 2016. If it ends up being nothing, that’s okay. But they deserve some definite answers as to what went down. This limbo of uncertainty is unhealthy the United States. Arguably, the US is one of the most patriotic nations in the world, but patriotism is reliant on the trust in the government.

By Vivi Melkonian