Paul Manafort and the Problem of White-Collar Crime

Radio Atlantic

The Atlantic

Politics, News, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 14 March 2019

⏱️ 43 minutes

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Summary

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort will spend around seven years in federal prison — far less than the nineteen to twenty-four years recommended by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The sentences prompted a backlash when a federal judge in Virginia said Manafort deserved leniency for his “otherwise blameless life.” But it’s not just the punishment that has people talking. Manafort’s crimes only came to light after the unlikely events that led to the Mueller investigation. Manafort’s own lawyer said as much this week: “but for” the 2016 election, his client wouldn’t have been in court. The episode has renewed questions that have been asked — if not answered — since the the 2008 financial crisis: Why are white-collar criminals so rarely prosecuted? And when they are, why do they seem to get off with lighter punishment? Alex Wagner puts those questions to attorney and former federal prosecutor Ken White. White is the person behind @popehat on Twitter and the author of the recent Atlantic article: “6 Reasons Paul Manafort Got Off So Lightly.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:31.6	The judges have spoken and Paul Man is going to jail. On Wednesday, DC Federal Judge Amy Berman
0:38.3	Jackson sentenced the former Trump campaign chair to 43 months in prison on top of a 47 month sentence issued
0:46.0	by Judge T.S. Ellis in Virginia. That means with nine months considered time served,
0:51.8	Manifort will spend about seven years in prison,
0:55.0	no small thing, but well below the 19 to 24 years
1:00.0	recommended by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
1:03.0	It's not just the sentence that has people talking.
1:06.0	Manifort's crimes only came to light after the unlikely events that led to the Mueller investigation.
1:12.0	Manafort's own lawyer said as much this events that led to the Mueller investigation.
1:13.0	Manifort's own lawyer said as much this week,
1:15.8	but for the 2016 election, he said,
1:18.6	his client wouldn't have been in court.
1:20.8	In other words, Manifort very well would have gotten away with these extraordinary crimes
1:25.6	if not for a man named Donald Trump.
1:28.6	All that has renewed questions that have been asked, if not answered, since the 2008 financial crisis.
	...

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