U.S. President Donald Trump is not obstructing the federal criminal investigation into Russian interference in the election that he won, rather he is “fighting back,” according to White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

Sanders made the remark to reporters Wednesday in a White House briefing hours after Trump made his most forceful call yet for an end to the special counsel’s investigation.

The president said Robert Mueller’s 14-month investigation of his campaign’s links to Russia is “a terrible situation,” and he tweeted that the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who is the country’s top law enforcement officer, “should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further.”

Sanders said Trump’s tweet “is not an order, it’s the president’s opinion,” adding that as far as she knew, Trump has not transmitted any formal directive to Justice Department top officials to stop the investigation.

The attorney general, more than a year ago, removed himself from oversight of the probe because of his own contacts with Russia, leaving that role to the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, whom some Republican lawmakers want impeached.

Some senators of the president’s party are defending the investigation.

“I support the probe to find out what Russia did to influence our election in 2016,” Senator John Kennedy of the state of Louisiana and a member of the judiciary committee, told reporters Wednesday, adding that the attorney general “had no choice” but to recuse himself.

“I don’t fully get what he’s trying to do,” said Utah’s Orrin Hatch, a former chairman of the senate’s judiciary committee, when asked by reporters about the president’s tweets, adding that while many would like the Mueller probe to go away, “that’s not going to happen.”

The third highest-ranking Republican in the Senate, John Thune of the state of South Dakota, said that “most of us up here believe the process needs to play out, and it will.”

Sanders, in her remarks to reporters in the briefing room Wednesday, said Mueller’s probe has “come up with nothing with regard to the president,” and the press secretary expressed expectations the investigation will soon conclude.

Trump contended in another tweet the appointed special counsel “is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!” 

Trump’s pressure on Sessions came on the second day of the tax and bank fraud trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, with the president, in another tweet, calling the trial “a hoax” and attempting to distance himself from the case in a courtroom just outside Washington. Manafort is accused of hiding millions of dollars he earned lobbying for deposed Ukrainian dictator Viktor Yanukovych in the years before his work for the Trump campaign.

“Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders,” Trump said. “He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn’t government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion – a Hoax!”

Trump’s Wednesday tweets are “just one more piece of circumstantial evidence of corrupt intent that Mueller will incorporate into his analysis of whether the president sought to obstruct justice,” according to national security lawyer Bradley Moss.

“Whether this will result in increased risk of a successful impeachment and conviction of President Trump is a purely political calculation,” Moss, deputy executive director of the James Madison Project, told VOA.

Rosenstein named Mueller to lead the investigation of Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election after Trump, in May the following year, fired FBI Director James Comey, who was at the time heading the agency’s Russia probe.

Trump has declined to fire any of the officials, however, perhaps because some lawmakers, including Republican colleagues of Trump’s, have warned him that his dismissal of any of the officials could lead to impeachment hearings against him in the House of Representatives.

Mueller has secured guilty pleas from a handful of Trump aides for lying to investigators about their contacts with Russia and indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officials on charges of hacking into computers of Democratic operatives supporting Trump’s opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, and then releasing emails through WikiLeaks.

Mueller’s probe is continuing, and there is no deadline for its completion, although a Trump lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, said this week he thinks it could be finished next month, ahead of November’s nationwide congressional elections.
…

The Trump administration is clearing the way for insurers to sell short-term health plans as a bargain alternative to pricey Obama-law policies for people struggling with high premiums.

But the policies don’t have to cover existing medical conditions and offer limited benefits. It’s not certain if that’s going to translate into broad consumer appeal among people who need an individual policy.

Officials say the plans can now last up to 12 months and be renewed for up to 36 months. But there’s no federal guarantee of renewability. Plans will carry a disclaimer that they don’t meet the Affordable Care Act’s requirements and safeguards. More details were expected Wednesday.

“We make no representation that it’s equivalent coverage,” said Jim Parker, a senior adviser at the Health and Human Services Department. “But what we do know is that there are individuals today who have been priced out of coverage.”

Unable to repeal much of the Obama-era law, Trump’s administration has tried to undercut how the law is supposed to work and to create options for people who don’t qualify for subsidies based on their income.

Officials are hoping short-term plans will fit the bill. Next year, there will be no tax penalty for someone who opts for short-term coverage versus a comprehensive plan, so more people might consider the option. More short-term plans will be available starting this fall.

Critics say the plans are “junk insurance” that could lead to unwelcome surprises if a policyholder gets sick, and will entice healthy people away from the law’s markets, raising premiums for those left. Under the Obama administration, such plans were limited to three months’ duration. Some states do not permit them.

President Donald Trump has been enthusiastic. “Much less expensive health care at a much lower price,” he said, previewing the plans at a White House event last week. “Will cost our country nothing. We’re finally taking care of our people.”

The administration estimates that premiums for a short-term plan could be about one-third the cost of comprehensive coverage. A standard silver plan under the Obama law now averages $481 a month for a 40-year-old nonsmoker. A short-term plan might cost $160 a month or even less.

But short-term insurance clearly has fewer benefits. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey of current plans found none that covered maternity, and many that did not cover prescription drugs or substance abuse treatment — required under the Obama law. They can include dollar limits on coverage and there’s no guarantee of renewal.

At a hearing Tuesday, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., called the administration’s anticipated action “a new sabotage step that will do even more to let insurance companies offer junk plans.”

Short-term plans have been a niche product for people in life transitions: those switching jobs, retiring before Medicare eligibility or aging out of parental coverage.

Some in the industry say they’re developing “next generation” short-term plans that will be more responsive to consumer needs, with pros and cons clearly spelled out. Major insurer United Healthcare is marketing short-term plans.

Delaware insurance broker Nick Moriello said consumers should carefully consider their choice.

“The insurance company will ask you a series of questions about your health,” Moriello said. “They are not going to cover anything related to a pre-existing condition. There is a relatively small risk to the insurance company on what they would pay out relative to those plans.”

Nonetheless, the CEO of a company that offers short-term plans says they’re a “rational decision” for some people.

“It’s a way better alternative to not being insured,” said Jeff Smedsrud of Pivot Health. “I don’t think it’s permanent coverage. You are constantly betting that for the rest of your life you won’t have any health issues.”

Smedsrud said most plans restrict coverage for those who have sought treatment for a pre-existing condition over the past five years.

Short-term plans join “association health plans” for small businesses as the administration promotes lower-cost insurance options that cover less. Federal regulations for association health plans have been approved. Such plans can be offered across state lines and are also designed for self-employed people.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that roughly 6 million more people will eventually enroll in either an association plan or a short-term plan. The administration says it expects about 1.6 million people to pick a short-term when the plans are fully phased in.

About 20 million are covered under the Obama law, combining its Medicaid expansion and subsidized private insurance for those who qualify.

Enrollment for the law’s subsidized private insurance is fairly stable, and HealthCare.gov insurers are making money again. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina just announced it will cut Affordable Care Act premiums by 4 percent on average next year.

But a recent Kaiser Foundation analysis found turmoil in the unsubsidized market.

 
…

The Trump administration is clearing the way for insurers to sell short-term health plans as a bargain alternative to pricey Obama-law policies for people struggling with high premiums.

But the policies don’t have to cover existing medical conditions and offer limited benefits. It’s not certain if that’s going to translate into broad consumer appeal among people who need an individual policy.

Officials say the plans can now last up to 12 months and be renewed for up to 36 months. But there’s no federal guarantee of renewability. Plans will carry a disclaimer that they don’t meet the Affordable Care Act’s requirements and safeguards. More details were expected Wednesday.

“We make no representation that it’s equivalent coverage,” said Jim Parker, a senior adviser at the Health and Human Services Department. “But what we do know is that there are individuals today who have been priced out of coverage.”

Unable to repeal much of the Obama-era law, Trump’s administration has tried to undercut how the law is supposed to work and to create options for people who don’t qualify for subsidies based on their income.

Officials are hoping short-term plans will fit the bill. Next year, there will be no tax penalty for someone who opts for short-term coverage versus a comprehensive plan, so more people might consider the option. More short-term plans will be available starting this fall.

Critics say the plans are “junk insurance” that could lead to unwelcome surprises if a policyholder gets sick, and will entice healthy people away from the law’s markets, raising premiums for those left. Under the Obama administration, such plans were limited to three months’ duration. Some states do not permit them.

President Donald Trump has been enthusiastic. “Much less expensive health care at a much lower price,” he said, previewing the plans at a White House event last week. “Will cost our country nothing. We’re finally taking care of our people.”

The administration estimates that premiums for a short-term plan could be about one-third the cost of comprehensive coverage. A standard silver plan under the Obama law now averages $481 a month for a 40-year-old nonsmoker. A short-term plan might cost $160 a month or even less.

But short-term insurance clearly has fewer benefits. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey of current plans found none that covered maternity, and many that did not cover prescription drugs or substance abuse treatment — required under the Obama law. They can include dollar limits on coverage and there’s no guarantee of renewal.

At a hearing Tuesday, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., called the administration’s anticipated action “a new sabotage step that will do even more to let insurance companies offer junk plans.”

Short-term plans have been a niche product for people in life transitions: those switching jobs, retiring before Medicare eligibility or aging out of parental coverage.

Some in the industry say they’re developing “next generation” short-term plans that will be more responsive to consumer needs, with pros and cons clearly spelled out. Major insurer United Healthcare is marketing short-term plans.

Delaware insurance broker Nick Moriello said consumers should carefully consider their choice.

“The insurance company will ask you a series of questions about your health,” Moriello said. “They are not going to cover anything related to a pre-existing condition. There is a relatively small risk to the insurance company on what they would pay out relative to those plans.”

Nonetheless, the CEO of a company that offers short-term plans says they’re a “rational decision” for some people.

“It’s a way better alternative to not being insured,” said Jeff Smedsrud of Pivot Health. “I don’t think it’s permanent coverage. You are constantly betting that for the rest of your life you won’t have any health issues.”

Smedsrud said most plans restrict coverage for those who have sought treatment for a pre-existing condition over the past five years.

Short-term plans join “association health plans” for small businesses as the administration promotes lower-cost insurance options that cover less. Federal regulations for association health plans have been approved. Such plans can be offered across state lines and are also designed for self-employed people.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that roughly 6 million more people will eventually enroll in either an association plan or a short-term plan. The administration says it expects about 1.6 million people to pick a short-term when the plans are fully phased in.

About 20 million are covered under the Obama law, combining its Medicaid expansion and subsidized private insurance for those who qualify.

Enrollment for the law’s subsidized private insurance is fairly stable, and HealthCare.gov insurers are making money again. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina just announced it will cut Affordable Care Act premiums by 4 percent on average next year.

But a recent Kaiser Foundation analysis found turmoil in the unsubsidized market.

 
…

President Donald Trump wrongly claimed that shoppers need to show photo identification to buy groceries and accused Democrats of obstructing his agenda and his Supreme Court nominee during a raucous rally aimed at bolstering two Florida Republicans ahead of the state’s primary.

Trump, addressing thousands of supporters Tuesday night in one of the nation’s top electoral battlegrounds, also mounted a rigorous defense of his trade agenda, accusing China and others of having “targeted our farmers.”

“Not good, not nice,” he told the crowd as tensions with China continue to escalate, adding: “You know what our farmers are saying? `It’s OK, we can take it.” The Trump administration last week announced plans for $12 billion in temporary aid to help farmers deal with retaliatory tariffs from U.S. trading partners in response to Trump’s policies.

The freewheeling rally lasted more than an hour and included numerous attacks on the media, as well as one glaring false claim. Trump was railing against the idea of noncitizens voting and advocating stricter voting laws when he claimed that IDs are required for everything else, including shopping.

“If you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID,” he said at the event at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. “You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture.”

A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about when the billionaire president last bought groceries or anything else himself. Photo IDs are required for certain purchases, such as alcohol, cigarettes or cold medicine.

The comment came as Trump waded into Florida Republican politics, picking sides as he embraced U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis in a competitive primary for governor and backed the Senate campaign of his longtime ally, Gov. Rick Scott.

“We have to make sure Rick Scott wins and wins big,” Trump told the crowd. “It’s time to vote Bill Nelson out of office.”

Trump, who is seeking Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court in the fall, also made the case that voters need to elect more Republicans, pointing to Democratic opposition to his pick.

Democrats “don’t want to give Trump any victory,” he said. “They will do anything they can to not help the Trump agenda.”

Trump has publicly threatened to shut down the federal government over his push to overhaul the nation’s immigration system and fund his signature border wall, though officials say he has privately assured staff he wouldn’t provoke a fiscal crisis before midterms. The president avoided making an outright reference to a government shutdown during the rally, saying, “We may have to do some pretty drastic things” unless Democrats support his agenda.

Instead, he spent much of the rally highlight strong economic numbers and praising DeSantis as “a tough, brilliant cookie.” He predicted DeSantis will win against Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the state’s Aug. 28 Republican primary.

Trump, who makes frequent trips to Florida and his private Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago club, criticized Nelson’s policies and claimed the only time he sees the senator is “five months before every election.”

“After a while, you forget who’s the senator,” Trump said.

Scott didn’t join Trump at the rally but appeared with him at an earlier roundtable event.

DeSantis has tied his campaign for governor directly to Trump, appearing on Fox News more than 100 times to talk about federal issues and defend the president. DeSantis has campaigned with Fox’s Sean Hannity and Donald Trump Jr. and uses humor in a new ad to show his alliance with the president, teaching one of his two children to “build the wall” with blocks.

Putnam, a state agriculture commissioner and former congressman, has run a more traditional campaign for governor, barnstorming the state with campaign events aimed at building upon his family’s deep ties to the state.

Trump, in railing against the idea of allowing noncitizens to vote in some elections, said at the rally, “Only American citizens should vote in American elections.”

He also advocated for requiring voters to present photo identification, even though Florida already has such a law on the books.

“The time has come for voter ID like everything else,” Trump said, before making his claim about groceries.

“It’s crazy,” he added, “but we’re turning it around.”
…

President Donald Trump wrongly claimed that shoppers need to show photo identification to buy groceries and accused Democrats of obstructing his agenda and his Supreme Court nominee during a raucous rally aimed at bolstering two Florida Republicans ahead of the state’s primary.

Trump, addressing thousands of supporters Tuesday night in one of the nation’s top electoral battlegrounds, also mounted a rigorous defense of his trade agenda, accusing China and others of having “targeted our farmers.”

“Not good, not nice,” he told the crowd as tensions with China continue to escalate, adding: “You know what our farmers are saying? `It’s OK, we can take it.” The Trump administration last week announced plans for $12 billion in temporary aid to help farmers deal with retaliatory tariffs from U.S. trading partners in response to Trump’s policies.

The freewheeling rally lasted more than an hour and included numerous attacks on the media, as well as one glaring false claim. Trump was railing against the idea of noncitizens voting and advocating stricter voting laws when he claimed that IDs are required for everything else, including shopping.

“If you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID,” he said at the event at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. “You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture.”

A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about when the billionaire president last bought groceries or anything else himself. Photo IDs are required for certain purchases, such as alcohol, cigarettes or cold medicine.

The comment came as Trump waded into Florida Republican politics, picking sides as he embraced U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis in a competitive primary for governor and backed the Senate campaign of his longtime ally, Gov. Rick Scott.

“We have to make sure Rick Scott wins and wins big,” Trump told the crowd. “It’s time to vote Bill Nelson out of office.”

Trump, who is seeking Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court in the fall, also made the case that voters need to elect more Republicans, pointing to Democratic opposition to his pick.

Democrats “don’t want to give Trump any victory,” he said. “They will do anything they can to not help the Trump agenda.”

Trump has publicly threatened to shut down the federal government over his push to overhaul the nation’s immigration system and fund his signature border wall, though officials say he has privately assured staff he wouldn’t provoke a fiscal crisis before midterms. The president avoided making an outright reference to a government shutdown during the rally, saying, “We may have to do some pretty drastic things” unless Democrats support his agenda.

Instead, he spent much of the rally highlight strong economic numbers and praising DeSantis as “a tough, brilliant cookie.” He predicted DeSantis will win against Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the state’s Aug. 28 Republican primary.

Trump, who makes frequent trips to Florida and his private Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago club, criticized Nelson’s policies and claimed the only time he sees the senator is “five months before every election.”

“After a while, you forget who’s the senator,” Trump said.

Scott didn’t join Trump at the rally but appeared with him at an earlier roundtable event.

DeSantis has tied his campaign for governor directly to Trump, appearing on Fox News more than 100 times to talk about federal issues and defend the president. DeSantis has campaigned with Fox’s Sean Hannity and Donald Trump Jr. and uses humor in a new ad to show his alliance with the president, teaching one of his two children to “build the wall” with blocks.

Putnam, a state agriculture commissioner and former congressman, has run a more traditional campaign for governor, barnstorming the state with campaign events aimed at building upon his family’s deep ties to the state.

Trump, in railing against the idea of allowing noncitizens to vote in some elections, said at the rally, “Only American citizens should vote in American elections.”

He also advocated for requiring voters to present photo identification, even though Florida already has such a law on the books.

“The time has come for voter ID like everything else,” Trump said, before making his claim about groceries.

“It’s crazy,” he added, “but we’re turning it around.”
…

U.S. prosecutors said former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort believed he was above tax and banking laws as he used offshore accounts to direct millions of dollars he earned for political work in Ukraine, while Manafort’s lawyers directed blame at his business partner.

“We are primarily here because of one man: Rick Gates,” defense lawyer Thomas Zehnle said in his opening statement Tuesday in Manafort’s trial on tax and bank fraud charges in Alexandria, Virginia.

Zehnle blamed Gates and the Ukrainian oligarchs who paid for much of Manafort’s political consulting work for former President Viktor Yanukovych and his pro-Russia Party of Regions.

Manafort and Gates were indicted last year and earlier this year on charges related to their work in Ukraine by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Gates pleaded guilty to two lesser charges in February, agreeing to cooperate with the special counsel’s investigation. He has emerged as the prosecution’s star witness against Manafort.

Manafort has pleaded not guilty to tax and bank fraud charges.

Core allegations

There are two core allegations against Manafort.

One is that he earned more than $60 million in consulting fees in Ukraine between 2010 and 2014 but evaded U.S. taxes on most of the income by setting up secret shell companies for the purpose of disguising the money as “loans.” 

The other charge alleges that after Yanukovych was deposed in 2014 and Manafort’s Ukrainian earnings dwindled, he fraudulently obtained loans by lying about his income and debt to several U.S. banks.

“In each of these cases, the evidence will show that Paul Manafort placed himself and his money above the law,” said prosecutor Uzo Asonye. 

Bank records obtained by prosecutors show that Manafort used money transfers from more than 30 overseas accounts to pay for $6 million worth of real estate and all manner of luxury goods, from a $21,000 watch to a $15,000 jacket “made from ostrich,” Asonye said.

U.S. law requires taxpayers to disclose foreign financial interests and bank accounts. But Manafort, according to prosecutors, hid the existence of his offshore accounts from his own tax preparers and bookkeepers.

“Just like he lied to the IRS and his tax preparer, Paul Manafort also misled his bookkeeper about his foreign accounts,” Asonye said.

But Zehnle, the defense lawyer, sought to play down the tax evasion charges, labeling the case as one about taxes and a failure “to check a box” on tax return forms.

The defense will present evidence to show that Manafort reported $30 million in adjusted gross income between 2005 and 2015 and that his company reported an income of more than $92 million during the period, Zehnle said.

U.S. taxpayers are audited rather than “punished” for the “mistakes” they make on their tax returns, he said, adding that Manafort and his company were not audited by the IRS prior to the special counsel’s investigation.  

Shell companies

The more than two dozen secret shell companies Manafort is accused of using, Zehnle said, were created at the initiative of the Party of Regions’ financial supporters. 

“The people he was dealing with, they were the ones who told him to open the accounts,” Zehnle explained.

The funders “instructed” Manafort that they didn’t want Manafort’s or Gates’ names on the accounts. But Gates kept his name on them “so he could keep control,” he said. 

Discrediting the prosecution’s witnesses is a common defense strategy. But Manafort’s lawyers appear intent on turning the tables on Gates and make him the main culprit in the affair.

Zehnle described Gates as the “point person” for Manafort’s consultancy on tax and financial issues.

He said Manafort entrusted him with running the day to day operations of the company, but instead Gates abused his trust and “embezzled tens of millions of dollars from his longtime employer.”

“Unfortunately, his trust in Rick Gates was misplaced,” Zehnle said.

The trial is expected to take about three weeks.

Manafort has been in jail since June, when the judge presiding over the Washington case revoked his bail for allegedly tampering with potential witnesses. 

The special counsel has enlisted as many as 35 witnesses to testify against Manafort. They include accountants, financial advisers, tax preparers and real estate agents. 

But prosecutors’ star witness is likely to be Gates, who worked closely with Manafort in Ukraine and later followed him into Trump’s campaign as deputy chairman. 

Gates was named as a co-defendant in the initial indictment handed down against Manafort last October. But when the special counsel hit the two men with a second indictment in February, Gates pleaded guilty to two lesser counts in exchange for cooperation.

Manafort has remained defiant, vowing to fight the charges.
…

U.S. prosecutors said former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort believed he was above tax and banking laws as he used offshore accounts to direct millions of dollars he earned for political work in Ukraine, while Manafort’s lawyers directed blame at his business partner.

“We are primarily here because of one man: Rick Gates,” defense lawyer Thomas Zehnle said in his opening statement Tuesday in Manafort’s trial on tax and bank fraud charges in Alexandria, Virginia.

Zehnle blamed Gates and the Ukrainian oligarchs who paid for much of Manafort’s political consulting work for former President Viktor Yanukovych and his pro-Russia Party of Regions.

Manafort and Gates were indicted last year and earlier this year on charges related to their work in Ukraine by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Gates pleaded guilty to two lesser charges in February, agreeing to cooperate with the special counsel’s investigation. He has emerged as the prosecution’s star witness against Manafort.

Manafort has pleaded not guilty to tax and bank fraud charges.

Core allegations

There are two core allegations against Manafort.

One is that he earned more than $60 million in consulting fees in Ukraine between 2010 and 2014 but evaded U.S. taxes on most of the income by setting up secret shell companies for the purpose of disguising the money as “loans.” 

The other charge alleges that after Yanukovych was deposed in 2014 and Manafort’s Ukrainian earnings dwindled, he fraudulently obtained loans by lying about his income and debt to several U.S. banks.

“In each of these cases, the evidence will show that Paul Manafort placed himself and his money above the law,” said prosecutor Uzo Asonye. 

Bank records obtained by prosecutors show that Manafort used money transfers from more than 30 overseas accounts to pay for $6 million worth of real estate and all manner of luxury goods, from a $21,000 watch to a $15,000 jacket “made from ostrich,” Asonye said.

U.S. law requires taxpayers to disclose foreign financial interests and bank accounts. But Manafort, according to prosecutors, hid the existence of his offshore accounts from his own tax preparers and bookkeepers.

“Just like he lied to the IRS and his tax preparer, Paul Manafort also misled his bookkeeper about his foreign accounts,” Asonye said.

But Zehnle, the defense lawyer, sought to play down the tax evasion charges, labeling the case as one about taxes and a failure “to check a box” on tax return forms.

The defense will present evidence to show that Manafort reported $30 million in adjusted gross income between 2005 and 2015 and that his company reported an income of more than $92 million during the period, Zehnle said.

U.S. taxpayers are audited rather than “punished” for the “mistakes” they make on their tax returns, he said, adding that Manafort and his company were not audited by the IRS prior to the special counsel’s investigation.  

Shell companies

The more than two dozen secret shell companies Manafort is accused of using, Zehnle said, were created at the initiative of the Party of Regions’ financial supporters. 

“The people he was dealing with, they were the ones who told him to open the accounts,” Zehnle explained.

The funders “instructed” Manafort that they didn’t want Manafort’s or Gates’ names on the accounts. But Gates kept his name on them “so he could keep control,” he said. 

Discrediting the prosecution’s witnesses is a common defense strategy. But Manafort’s lawyers appear intent on turning the tables on Gates and make him the main culprit in the affair.

Zehnle described Gates as the “point person” for Manafort’s consultancy on tax and financial issues.

He said Manafort entrusted him with running the day to day operations of the company, but instead Gates abused his trust and “embezzled tens of millions of dollars from his longtime employer.”

“Unfortunately, his trust in Rick Gates was misplaced,” Zehnle said.

The trial is expected to take about three weeks.

Manafort has been in jail since June, when the judge presiding over the Washington case revoked his bail for allegedly tampering with potential witnesses. 

The special counsel has enlisted as many as 35 witnesses to testify against Manafort. They include accountants, financial advisers, tax preparers and real estate agents. 

But prosecutors’ star witness is likely to be Gates, who worked closely with Manafort in Ukraine and later followed him into Trump’s campaign as deputy chairman. 

Gates was named as a co-defendant in the initial indictment handed down against Manafort last October. But when the special counsel hit the two men with a second indictment in February, Gates pleaded guilty to two lesser counts in exchange for cooperation.

Manafort has remained defiant, vowing to fight the charges.
…

U.S. President Donald Trump defended his trade policies on Tuesday in a speech in Florida and said American farmers hurt by retaliatory tariffs from China were bearing up, in a sign he is feeling some political heat on the issue.

Trump’s rally speech in Tampa contained many elements familiar to his political events. Several hecklers were ejected and the crowd at the state fairgrounds was big and loud. Trump attacked public opinion polls, except one that said he was popular among Republicans.

The president, in Florida to campaign for Republican Governor Rick Scott’s bid for a U.S. Senate seat and U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis’ campaign for governor, said he could tame his raucous presidential style if he wanted.

“I can be more presidential than any president in history except for maybe Abe Lincoln with the big hat,” Trump said. “I admit it, Abe Lincoln is tough.”

The president spent considerable time talking about his trade policies, including tit-for-tat tariffs with China that he said would eventually pay dividends for the United States.

The tariffs are causing unease among Republican lawmakers facing tough re-election battles in November, and Trump’s focus on them suggested he was concerned about their potential political impact.

China and other top U.S. trade partners zeroed in on American farmers with retaliatory tariffs after the administration imposed duties on Chinese goods, as well as steel and aluminum from the European Union, Canada and Mexico.

“China and others have targeted our farmers. Not good. Not nice. And you know what our farmers are saying? ‘It’s OK. We can take it,'” Trump said.

The Trump administration announced a $12 billion farm aid package last week, prompting some farmers and farm-state lawmakers, including Trump’s fellow Republicans, to criticize the move, saying they would rather trade with no tariffs than receive government help.

“I want to thank our farmers,” Trump said. “Our farmers are true patriots.”

Trump also defended the denuclearization deal he signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June in Singapore after reports surfaced that North Korea was proceeding with its missile program.

The Singapore summit was long on positive imagery but short on specific benchmarks for North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons.

Trump said the fact that North Korea was starting to return the remains of American dead from the 1950s Korean War and that there had been no nuclear or missile tests were offshoots of the summit.

“I think it’s going to work out very well,” he said. “No tests, no rockets flying. But we’ll see what happens.”
…

U.S. President Donald Trump defended his trade policies on Tuesday in a speech in Florida and said American farmers hurt by retaliatory tariffs from China were bearing up, in a sign he is feeling some political heat on the issue.

Trump’s rally speech in Tampa contained many elements familiar to his political events. Several hecklers were ejected and the crowd at the state fairgrounds was big and loud. Trump attacked public opinion polls, except one that said he was popular among Republicans.

The president, in Florida to campaign for Republican Governor Rick Scott’s bid for a U.S. Senate seat and U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis’ campaign for governor, said he could tame his raucous presidential style if he wanted.

“I can be more presidential than any president in history except for maybe Abe Lincoln with the big hat,” Trump said. “I admit it, Abe Lincoln is tough.”

The president spent considerable time talking about his trade policies, including tit-for-tat tariffs with China that he said would eventually pay dividends for the United States.

The tariffs are causing unease among Republican lawmakers facing tough re-election battles in November, and Trump’s focus on them suggested he was concerned about their potential political impact.

China and other top U.S. trade partners zeroed in on American farmers with retaliatory tariffs after the administration imposed duties on Chinese goods, as well as steel and aluminum from the European Union, Canada and Mexico.

“China and others have targeted our farmers. Not good. Not nice. And you know what our farmers are saying? ‘It’s OK. We can take it,'” Trump said.

The Trump administration announced a $12 billion farm aid package last week, prompting some farmers and farm-state lawmakers, including Trump’s fellow Republicans, to criticize the move, saying they would rather trade with no tariffs than receive government help.

“I want to thank our farmers,” Trump said. “Our farmers are true patriots.”

Trump also defended the denuclearization deal he signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June in Singapore after reports surfaced that North Korea was proceeding with its missile program.

The Singapore summit was long on positive imagery but short on specific benchmarks for North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons.

Trump said the fact that North Korea was starting to return the remains of American dead from the 1950s Korean War and that there had been no nuclear or missile tests were offshoots of the summit.

“I think it’s going to work out very well,” he said. “No tests, no rockets flying. But we’ll see what happens.”
…

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a Texas company from releasing instructions on how to use a three-dimensional printer to make guns at home.

Judge Robert Lasnik issued his restraining order from Seattle just hours before gun rights advocate Cody Wilson was to have started putting the blueprints on the internet.

“There is a possibility of irreparable harm because of the way these guns can be made,” the judge wrote.

Attorneys general from nine states and the District of Columbia had filed a lawsuit in Seattle against the Trump administration to try to prevent the gun plans from being distributed.

They said downloadable guns would be unregistered and very difficult to detect and also would be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history.

The blueprints created by the company, Defense Distributed, would allow anyone with a 3-D printer to make the parts for a plastic gun that would cost just a few hundred dollars.

The State Department had ordered Cody Wilson to stop distributing the blueprints, arguing they violated U.S. export laws.

Wilson sued, alleging the ban violated his constitutional rights. The Trump administration reversed itself and said Wilson could again start publishing the gun plans starting Wednesday. That decision is now on hold.

But it is unclear how many people got copies of the plans before the State Department ordered Wilson to stop.

​Doesn’t ‘make much sense’

On Tuesday, Trump himself questioned the wisdom of allowing people to assemble homemade weapons.

“I am looking into 3-D plastic guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to the NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense,” Trump tweeted.

Some senators want Trump to do more than tweet and talk to the National Rifle Association. Several Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday that would outlaw the dissemination on the internet of blueprints for plastic homemade guns.

Senator Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, appealed to Trump to fix what he called a “deadly mistake” his administration made.

“Donald Trump will be totally responsible for every downloadable plastic AR-15 gun that will be roaming the streets of our country,” he said.

Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal put it more bluntly, saying if the president did not stop plastic guns, “blood is going to be on his hands.”

Gun experts say the plastic handguns may not work without certain metal parts, and that the guns also have a tendency to blow up and break apart in users’ hands.

The experts also say the 3-D printer required to make the guns is expensive.
…

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a Texas company from releasing instructions on how to use a three-dimensional printer to make guns at home.

Judge Robert Lasnik issued his restraining order from Seattle just hours before gun rights advocate Cody Wilson was to have started putting the blueprints on the internet.

“There is a possibility of irreparable harm because of the way these guns can be made,” the judge wrote.

Attorneys general from nine states and the District of Columbia had filed a lawsuit in Seattle against the Trump administration to try to prevent the gun plans from being distributed.

They said downloadable guns would be unregistered and very difficult to detect and also would be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history.

The blueprints created by the company, Defense Distributed, would allow anyone with a 3-D printer to make the parts for a plastic gun that would cost just a few hundred dollars.

The State Department had ordered Cody Wilson to stop distributing the blueprints, arguing they violated U.S. export laws.

Wilson sued, alleging the ban violated his constitutional rights. The Trump administration reversed itself and said Wilson could again start publishing the gun plans starting Wednesday. That decision is now on hold.

But it is unclear how many people got copies of the plans before the State Department ordered Wilson to stop.

​Doesn’t ‘make much sense’

On Tuesday, Trump himself questioned the wisdom of allowing people to assemble homemade weapons.

“I am looking into 3-D plastic guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to the NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense,” Trump tweeted.

Some senators want Trump to do more than tweet and talk to the National Rifle Association. Several Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday that would outlaw the dissemination on the internet of blueprints for plastic homemade guns.

Senator Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, appealed to Trump to fix what he called a “deadly mistake” his administration made.

“Donald Trump will be totally responsible for every downloadable plastic AR-15 gun that will be roaming the streets of our country,” he said.

Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal put it more bluntly, saying if the president did not stop plastic guns, “blood is going to be on his hands.”

Gun experts say the plastic handguns may not work without certain metal parts, and that the guns also have a tendency to blow up and break apart in users’ hands.

The experts also say the 3-D printer required to make the guns is expensive.
…

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday slammed the powerful Koch-led donor network as “globalist” and “a total joke,” rejecting the conservative group amid reports that the network was shifting away from him over trade and immigration issues.

Trump’s comments follow media reports that the Koch donor network sought to distance itself from Trump and the Republican Party at a weekend gathering in Colorado where concerns were also raised that his trade policies could fuel a recession.

“The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against strong borders and powerful trade. I never sought their support because I don’t need their money or bad ideas,” Trump said in a post on Twitter.

“Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn.”

Charles and David Koch have been a force in American politics for decades, channeling billions of dollars into conservative causes. But the billionaire industrialist pair kept their distance from Trump during the 2016 presidential election.

Charles Koch has taken the lead after his younger brother, David, stepped down from their political group and their company Koch Industries earlier in June due to poor health.

On Sunday, Charles Koch told reporters at the gathering that Trump’s trade policies, including tariffs, could trigger severe economic fallout, Bloomberg reported.

The Koch-backed network also said it would not support the Republican challenger to Democratic U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, who is facing re-election, according to the Washington Post.
…

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday slammed the powerful Koch-led donor network as “globalist” and “a total joke,” rejecting the conservative group amid reports that the network was shifting away from him over trade and immigration issues.

Trump’s comments follow media reports that the Koch donor network sought to distance itself from Trump and the Republican Party at a weekend gathering in Colorado where concerns were also raised that his trade policies could fuel a recession.

“The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against strong borders and powerful trade. I never sought their support because I don’t need their money or bad ideas,” Trump said in a post on Twitter.

“Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn.”

Charles and David Koch have been a force in American politics for decades, channeling billions of dollars into conservative causes. But the billionaire industrialist pair kept their distance from Trump during the 2016 presidential election.

Charles Koch has taken the lead after his younger brother, David, stepped down from their political group and their company Koch Industries earlier in June due to poor health.

On Sunday, Charles Koch told reporters at the gathering that Trump’s trade policies, including tariffs, could trigger severe economic fallout, Bloomberg reported.

The Koch-backed network also said it would not support the Republican challenger to Democratic U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, who is facing re-election, according to the Washington Post.
…