Criminal whitewash

Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort got off easy. Convicted in Federal court of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account, the judge gave him less than four years in prison, claiming Manafort had lived an “otherwise blameless life.” That’s rich, as he was a political adviser to a corrupt Ukrainian prime minister and worked hard to fulfill Vladimir Putin’s political ambitions, both in Ukraine and in the US. He also violated his cooperation agreement with prosecutors and sought to influence witnesses during the trial. Before sentencing, he expressed no remorse for his crimes but claimed to have suffered greatly.

There really is only one way of understanding this travesty of justice: Manafort is rich and white. A poor or black defendant convicted of such charges would be looking at twice the time in prison, if not three or four times. Appointed by President Reagan, Judge Ellis had often expressed sympathy for Manafort and distaste for the prosecutors, who work for Special Counsel Mueller. Ellis seems to have decided early on that Manafort was “one of us” caught by overzealous prosecutors in what the judge considered victimless white collar crimes.

Manafort still faces serious problems, as a different Federal judge in a different court will sentence him next week on conspiracy convictions. She has shown no sympathy for Manafort and is expected to throw the book at him, which likely means an additional ten years in prison for the 69-year-old felon. Manafort may yet end his life in prison, though early release is common for good behavior. Surely there are parole boards who, like Judge Ellis, have sympathy with “one of us.” And the President could still pardon Manafort.

This sentencing has international import. President Trump has already enormously weakened America’s stance on democracy and the rule of law, which he regards as demands to make of Washington’s adversaries and not its friends. Judge Ellis’ sentencing has now added insult to injury. Who would believe that the US really stands for equality before the law, when a pal of the President gets such kid glove treatment? This criminal whitewash may obscure Manafort’s malfeasance, but it is a stain on America’s reputation. It will encourage autocrats worldwide to continue to resist the rule of law. That is precisely what Donald Trump wants to do, so long as the autocrats are his friends.