White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders pleaded ignorance at Wednesday's press briefing about the possibility of a Paul Manafort pardon. As usual, Rudy Giuliani tells a different story.
In a Washington Post interview Thursday, President Trump's press-happy lawyer described just how angry his boss was with Manafort's financial crimes trial, which resulted in guilty convictions on eight counts. Trump was so mad, he asked his lawyers a few weeks ago about the possibility of pardoning his ex-campaign chair.
Trump thought U.S. prosecutors "beat up" Manafort by spending days describing his $15,000 ostrich jacket and casual mansion purchases during the trial, Giuliani told the Post. So, why not a pardon? The president's lawyers reportedly warned him against such an action. "We told him he should wait until all the investigations are over," Giuliani said, and Trump agreed.
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