Transcript for Paul Manafort did not live 'an otherwise blameless life': Terry Moran on sentencing

I feel very badly. Were you shocked that the only what is not like I'm just this crumbled just can't surprise. At white collar crime that it would be and bring their respective. I don't you just can't treat people differently not just based on race but also based on the types of crimes that they commit that's wrong. The reaction from president trump and some of the 20/20 democratic field to former trump campaign chair Paul man a fort. Who was sentenced to less than four years in federal prison this week the special counsel's office had recommended a longer prison term. Up to 25 years and while Mann a port will be back in court on Wednesday for another sentencing hearing that could put him behind bars for years longer. Did his sentence fit the crime. Let's bring in ABC news Chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas who has covered the special counsel's investigation from the start. And our own Terry Moran senior national correspondent who covers the president and also the Supreme Court good morning. A lot of factors peer go into deciding this the judge looks at a lot of different things so what stood out to you. In this case especially with so many people complaining that the sentence was just too life. Martha as you can see this has turned into their very intense debate about fairness in terms of the criminal justice system. The prosecutors have argued basically that -- Ford is a straight up criminal Padilla thirty overseas bank accounts. Would more than 55 million dollars in it. And that he did not pay taxes on six million they wanted him to get a significant prison term for that the defense and metaphor himself made the case they're looking to older man. He he's not in good health. And they believe that the service would be less the judge said. The sentencing guidelines which call for nineteen to 24 years in prison the judge sent excessive too much. At and just what appears laid out there Terry and then we have the judge saying this this stood out. That metaphor lived an otherwise blameless. Life that's clearly at odds with what Pierre just sat with that end with a coup reared that did what brought influence peddling to a level of intensity and disgrace in some ways. That hangs over Washington this is the guy who represented. The dictator of Ukraine when he was slaughtering people in the streets of Kiev does the guy took money. From people like Jonas Savimbi and other gangsters around the around the world. Millions upon millions of dollars stashed them in Cyprus and then engaged in tax division on an industrial scale and faces sentencing on these other crimes. That is not otherwise blameless let's look. It's good the judges have discretion to look at the human being in front of them. Outside the guidelines and tried to do justice but that discretion tells us something about our system. And about the individual judge hit it exactly Keyaron and I want to talk about Beckett several Democrats say descendants at a reflects a criminal justice system that more harshly. Punishes people of color one former federal prosecutor wrote. The system isn't broken because manna for got. Four years rather than the nineteen year recommendation that the sentencing guidelines spat out. The system is broken because other people get the long sentence because. Other poor and offered often darker people don't get the same chances. Martha let's take the emotion out of it must talk facts there was a recent Justice Department skis me on sentencing commission report that found that African American males. Got a sentence of 19% higher. Time in prison than a white counterparts for the same crime so this is a real issue. And the other thing I would just say about manna for desist. The context he was in jail during trial. Because he had been accused been found by another judge a witness tampering in jail for witnessed temperate are also the context of a person who. Made a deal with the prosecutors and was caught lying so this notion of otherwise blameless. Life was. In you know contradiction to recent facts many people would argue. And it's so the lighter expected in its tenants expect it in this case but he's got more sentencing this week what do you expect there. Well I expect an answer in some ways from the judge in the District of Columbia look this is. This is something that strikes at the heart of confidence. In our justice system and that will not be lost on the next judge who sees the otherwise blameless palm out force but this puts what. Judge what that judge look and say it he didn't get enough time I mean it's certainly supposed to be separate it is and will be separate but but the assessment of these crimes that did this judge will sentence men port on in the context of a life which now includes the sentence. It is fair and I I don't see how any judge across the country. With the incarceration risk incarceration crisis in this country which in part is a crisis about racism. Can turn. Her head away from those issues and I want to turn to them that Mueller probe here quickly pick here we've all heard that the investigation may be coming to an end I feel like we've heard that before. So what can you tell us about. Well based on our sourcing Muller is nearing the end of his work and we expect that. In the coming days he will turn over his confidential report to attorney general bill Barr. And then bar will have one and most momentous decisions that any attorney general has had in. Thirty some years witches how much of that report is made public and turned over to congress and you have a sense of them. In a bar has said during his confirmation hearing that he will. He wants to be transparent but he will abide by the standards of the Justice Department debt typically says were people aren't charged with crimes. That you don't do much talking about them but. There's so much in this investigation about the number of contacts between people associated with trop. And Russians that people want to know and how Muller chose to deal which with these issues. And the big topic of course Terry collusion. The president said there was no collusion there was no collusion there are hints that that's certainly what Mueller may have been looking at. How big a deal is it if they don't find collusion for the president huge he's cleared. If Robert Mueller comes back Mueller became a folk cure in the united Robert even though he finds all sorts of chore. No but that central and most serious question in this investigation the reason Robert Mueller started it is. Did the current president of the United States assist the Kremlin in an attack on our democracy. And if Mueller after two years comes back and says. I don't have the evidence to support that charge that's a reckoning. That's a reckoning for progressives and Democrats who hope that Mueller would essentially erased a 2016 election it's a reckoning for the media it's a reckoning. Around the country if in fact after all this time. There was no collusion Pierre. Well the fact is if you look at all the charges so far no one dollars charts so far has been charged with directly conspiring. With the Russians that's a fact but. The mullah report is shrouded in secrecy there's just a lot we don't know and there are certain facts that Mueller has hinted to throughout the case like. The fact of Paul man a Ford allegedly. Cape polling data to a suspected Russian intelligence off some Roger Stone. A confident the president communicating what when of the Russian hackers so again stay tuned we have to see would report sets an. And in Terry even it if there's nothing there. The kill. We'll start several investigations into all kinds of. That's right that there are certainly other investigations about the trump business is about about trump tower Moscow which which may. Draw the interest to prosecutors and congressional investigators and certainly these issues need to be brought to let the attention of the American public. And Waller. That's that's a question it is a question infected Democrat who worry that they don't look like they're just thrown anything against the wall that'll hope it'll stick. And get back to the old. Kind of politics if they want to beat down trying to beat him. Beat him on the issues beat him in politics don't don't be don't with investigations are great to have your perspective this morning thanks for coming in guys.

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