Manafort Can’t Get Fair Trial Before American Jury, Lawyers Say

Claiming that his client cannot get a fair hearing in front of American jurors, Paul Manafort’s legal team told a federal judge that Mr. Manafort would seek a change of venue in his upcoming money-laundering and conspiracy trial. In 2016, Manafort expanded into the U.S. market his business advising international kleptocrats, such as ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, by managing then-candidate Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
“Where do you want to go?” asked U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, noting that “the extensive coverage of the Manafort allegations has been nationwide.”
“That’s precisely the point, Your Honor,” replied Manafort lawyer Richard W. Westling. “A fair trial will be impossible without a change of venue to a more neutral and less media saturated locale. We’re thinking Russia would be good.”
In support of the motion, Manafort’s defense team told Judge Jackson that an American jury could be unduly influenced by Manafort’s extensive career manipulating the American political system for the benefit of oligarchs and unsavory governments from countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Zaire, Equatorial Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the Philippines, Angola and Pakistan.
Richard Painter, former ethics advisor to President George W. Bush, observed that the entire world has been getting newspapers and cable TV programs saturated with news of the Manafort trial. “The issue for Manafort’s lawyers,” Painter said on Thursday, “is not whether potential jurors have been exposed to cable news, but whether they watch RT or Gazprom Media. What Manafort’s team really wants is to have the case decided by Putin voters. Even Roanoke, Virginia can’t offer that.”
Judge Jackson said she would entertain Manafort’s motion at oral argument scheduled for September 5.
