By Steve Neavling
Ticklethewire.com
A lot is at stake in the Paul Manafort trial that began last week.
A victory for special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian meddling during the election, would give him more credibility as president Trump tries to chip away at his reputation and intentions.
A loss for Mueller would give Trump more ammunition in his quest to convince the public that the investigation is a “witch hunt.”
By Friday, Mueller’s prosecutors are expected to wrap up their case against Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman who is accused of bank and tax fraud.
Prosecutor Greg Andres told U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III that the government will rest its case after calling about eight more witnesses to the stand, which is expected to happen by the end of the week.
Once the prosecution rests its case, Manafort’s lawyers will make their case that the Republican consultant did nothing wrong. It’s unclear how long the defense plans to take during the trial, which entered its second week on Monday.
