Byron York: Mueller Reveals In Court Filings That There's No Connection Between the Manafort Prosecution and Russian Collusion, and No Connection to Trump, Either

Shocker.

Manafort's defense moved that Mueller's team should not be permitted to bring up the claims of Russian collusion, noting that the jury would likely be anti-Trump and hence any such claims would be prejudicial.

Mueller responded he had no intention to introduce the subject. Hence -- the Manafort prosecution is unrelated to the Russian collusion the entire special counsel is predicated upon.

Mueller's response was two-fold. On the issue of collusion, the special counsel, in a motion filed July 6, flatly said, "The government does not intend to present at trial evidence or argument concerning collusion with the Russian government and, accordingly does not oppose the defendant's motion in that respect." To those Trump opponents who had hoped Mueller would unveil evidence of Trump-Russia collusion involving Manafort, it was a sharp and stunning admission: there's no collusion in the case against Manafort.



The only connection to Trump Mueller's team plans to discuss isn't even a connection to Trump. Manafort applied for loans, misstating his income level and debts (Mueller alleges), and a banker hoping to curry favor with Trump approved them, despite his questions about Manafort's finances.

That's not a connection to Trump. That's a connection to someone who wanted a connection to Trump.

So this is what #TheResistance has.

Question: If the FBI had really squeezed Hillary's outrageously perjurious IT guy this hard, instead of gifting him with get out of jail free immunity cards, what might he have disclosed about Hillary's and her lawyers' orders to him?