Robert Mueller Tightens The Screws On Paul Manafort, Says He Will Only Be Released If He Proves His Worth

Special counsel Robert Mueller, whose team of prosecutors appear steadfast on uncovering the magnitude of the Donald Trump campaign’s alleged collusion with Russia, has conveyed to indicted Paul Manafort that he will only be released before his trial if he proves how much he is worth, financially.

Manafort is currently under house arrest and cannot leave the premises unless for legal, medical, or religious reasons. He has to report to officials once daily and cannot fly anywhere else in the world except Virginia, Florida, and New York, where he has properties. Although Manafort’s lawyers have been attempting to change the terms of his release, so far Mueller’s team are holding their own quite comfortably, not budging on their condition that his release will only be considered if he gives a full accounting of his net worth, according to Newsweek.

Manafort has claimed that he is worth $28 million but the investigations of his and Gates’ offshore accounts and properties by Mueller’s team has seen close to $75 million being funneled in and out of those accounts. In fact, according to court documents, $18 million was laundered through Manafort’s accounts just to pay companies in America providing him various goods and services, including home renovations and properties.

Paul Manafort should only be released if he can prove his net worth, says Mueller https://t.co/9ihZZHwwEQ pic.twitter.com/PzTiHgztoE

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) November 6, 2017

Mueller’s team contends that Manafort must be worth much more, and he will have to provide the prosecutors with a full accounting of his cash and asset reserves if he wants to be released from house arrest before the trial begins on May 7, 2018.

“Although Manafort has provided the government with a spreadsheet listing his total assets at approximately $28 million, the government has yet to substantiate Manafort’s net worth. Without that information the government cannot be assured that whatever assets that Manafort pledges are sufficiently meaningful in relation to his overall net assets to reasonably assure his presence at trial,” Mueller’s team said.

Moreover, Mueller’s team is refusing to accept the conditions provided by Paul Manafort to meet his bond, which was set at $10 million. Manafort’s lawyers have reportedly asked bail to be granted in exchange for one of Manafort’s properties in New York along with a life insurance plan that he owns, but Mueller’s team of prosecutors have refused on account of two reasons. The first being that Manafort’s New York property, because of its very nature, cannot have a fixed cash value. The second reason is that if Manafort was to be found guilty after the trial, his insurance policy would be forfeited, thus not covering the conditions of the bond.

Seems like Robert Mueller won’t stop tightening the screw.

[Featured Image by Alex Wong/Getty Images]