Paul Manafort has been indicted. What happens next?
On Monday morning, President Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, surrendered to federal authorities. He faces 12 counts, including conspiracy against the United States and financial crimes, stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russia's 2016 election meddling. But what happens now that Manafort has walked through the FBI field office's doors?
Perhaps at the forefront of everyone's minds is the possibility of Manafort "flipping." The rumors began last summer, when prosecutors warned Manafort he was a potential target in the investigation, igniting "speculation that Mr. Manafort might try to cut a deal to avoid prosecution," The New York Times writes. Trump's lawyer has dismissed rumors that Manafort would or could offer damaging information on the president, while Trump's close friend, Roger Stone, said of Manafort: "He's not going to lie."
Still, FBI investigations at the level of Mueller's historically follow a similar pattern, which includes circling inward from "peripheral figures first," Wired writes. With prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, an expert on "flipping witnesses," seen outside the grand jury room Friday, Wired adds that "there's no reason to think that this investigation will be any different."
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Axios adds that indicting Manafort could trigger a reaction from Trump himself, including "pardons or Mueller's firing, igniting a debate over executive authority."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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