Freedom Rider: Mueller, Manafort and Assange

The Mueller investigation much more resembles a propaganda campaign whose goal is neither truth nor justice, but vilification of Russia in the pursuit of endless war.

“Russiagate serves many purposes.”

Robert Mueller is the hero of the “resistance.” Yet the over the top Mueller love is a result of Democratic Party and corporate media gas lighting more than it is evidence of collusion with Russia. Well placed pundits and official mouthpieces say that the investigation of the president is winding down. But at the same time Mueller is winding things up with the help of his establishment partners as they try to prove the unprovable.

Mueller nullified his plea agreement with Paul Manafort, a man guilty of cheating on his taxes and having the bad sense to ally himself with Trump and company. Manafort was convicted of bank and tax fraud, not of colluding with the Russian government. He was stupid enough to contact witnesses before his trial and he ended up in jail for his trouble. The feds have already used asset forfeiture to take his fortune. It is difficult to believe that he would add to his troubles by lying to Mueller.

Yet that is what Mueller insists he did although he wouldn’t reveal the nature of the lie. According to the resistance and their quasi religious belief system Mueller is never to be questioned.The prosecutorial squeeze play is not the only problem in Manafort’s life. While Mueller got the American corporate media to accept his every word as gospel truth, their friends in London joined in the beat down.

“According to the resistance and their quasi religious belief system Mueller is never to be questioned.”

Guardianreporter Luke Harding made a name for himself and a good living by endlessly repeating the entire Russiagate narrative. He didn’t disappoint as he joined in the Mueller vilification of an already defeated man. The Guardianquoted “anonymous sources” who said Manafort visited Julian Assange in the Ecuadorean embassy on three occasions. The story is problematic for at least two reasons. First, the Guardianpublished a list of Assange visitors in May 2018 and Manafort’s name is nowhere to be found. Secondly, that embassy is under constant surveillance and anyone who has visited Assange is on camera. Unless or until the Guardianor Mueller or Harding or anyone produces footage of Manafortin that location the claim must be labeled a lie.

The entire story has since been debunked by the revelation of Manafort’s contact with the newly elected Ecuadorean president in 2017. Lenin Moreno asked for Manafort’s help in getting Assange out of the safe house guaranteed by his predecessor. The ultimate goal is turning him over to the United States and Manafort was ready to help. That is strange behavior for a man alleged to be in cahoots with his target.

“The Equadoran embassy is under constant surveillance and anyone who has visited Assange is on camera.”

Assange also has never ending legal troubles. There is a sealed federal indictment against him but the actual charges are unknown as of yet. Assange became an even bigger target than he was all along after Wikileaks published the Democratic National Committee emails which showed the depth of corruption and incompetence of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party. Donald Trump is president in part because of their foolish Pied Piper strategy which promoted the man they thought easier to beat. Russiagate serves many purposes, and excusing the political debacle is at the top of the tawdry list.

It is interesting that the attacks on Manafort and Assange occurred simultaneously. The timing was surely no coincidence. Instead it is part of a long running pattern. Mueller’s decision to void the plea agreement and the slander in the Guardianhave the same purpose. There is a court of public opinion they are trying to influence. They cannot admit that the Russiagate narrative is and will remain unproven. It doesn’t matter how many lies about Assange are debunked, a new one is always waiting in the wings lest the public ask questions about the entire tale.

“They cannot admit that the Russiagate narrative is and will remain unproven.”

There is no proof of the major Russiagate assertions. There is no proof that the Russian government or anyone else hacked the DNC but there is evidence of a leak committed by an insider. The DNC claims of Russian “digital fingerprints” were made by their own consultants without independent corroboration. The basis of Russiagate remains unproven and that is why the surveillance state and their friends need to destroy what little is left of Manafort’s and Assange’s lives.

The equally hapless Michael Cohen was also served up on the Mueller/media chopping block. The man guilty of paying off a porn star and conducting a sham taxi medallion scam is presented as a go between for Trump and Putin. Cohen admits to lying about his attempts to contact the Russian government in order to do a Trump real estate deal in Russia. Trump has tried, without success, to get a development done in Moscow since the days of the Soviet Union. But Cohen didn’t even have an email address for the people we’re constantly told have Trump under control. He contacted the Kremlin via the “contact us” message box that anyone uses when they don’t have an email address.

“Cohen didn’t even have an email address for the people we’re constantly told have Trump under control.”

Trump, his family and his cohorts are guilty of being stupid and or crooked. Mueller can’t continue the ruse if he presents evidence of stupidity. Like all prosecutors he will get the goods any way he can. If that means putting Manafort and Cohen in jail as long as possible he will do it.

Even worse, the scam has succeeded in distorting American politics and letting scoundrels off the hook. Millions of otherwise intelligent people are convinced that the big lies are true. There is no counter narrative allowed which might enlighten them. Instead we are told that up is down and black is white.The endgame for Mueller may happen soon, but the slanders will continue. They must go on if the crooks in high places are to get away with their crimes.

Margaret Kimberley’s Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains a frequently updated blog as well at http://freedomrider.blogspot.com . Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgendaReport.com.

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