Manafort Likely to 'Die in Prison' Unless He Cooperates, GOP Strategist Says
*By Amanda Weston*
As a jury deliberates the guilt of President Trump's former campaign chair for the third day, GOP strategist Rick Wilson said Paul Manafort's chances don't look good.
"I think the judge in this case has been somewhat of a wildcard, but in the large picture here I think Manafort is facing something that federal prosecutors are pretty good at putting people behind bars for," Wilson, author of "Everything Trump Touches Dies," said Monday in an interview on Cheddar.
Manafort [faces more than a dozen charges](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/20/politics/paul-manafort-trial/index.html), including tax evasion and the concealment of foreign bank accounts. He has pleaded not guilty.
Wilson said the real star of the proceedings is a "gigantic paper trail" that Manafort left behind. And it marks the first trial from Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the Russia investigation.
"Manafort has always had a choice," said Wilson. "He can either flip and cooperate with Robert Mueller and cooperate with this investigation and do the right thing for his country, or he can die in prison. Right now, he's going to die in prison."
President Trump has repeatedly slammed the Mueller probe on Twitter, calling it [a "Rigged Witch Hunt!"](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1031154974942810114) on Sunday morning.
While Manafort's trial, the first in Mueller's investigation, may not be a defining moment for the overall probe, it's life-altering for the defendant.
"I view this, as I think most people do, as a point of leverage for Paul Manafort to get a wake-up call and to understand that unless he cooperates, he's going to die in jail," said Wilson. "Because he's not a young man, and he's going to go to prison at some point, and they've got a whole separate case, by the way, they can bring after this one. So the pressure on Paul Manafort isn't over. This isn't a make or break for the Mueller investigation at all."
For full interview [click here] ( https://cheddar.com/videos/manafort-jury-enters-third-day-of-deliberations).
Sam Stovall, Chief Investment Strategist at CFRA Research, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell where he dives into the factors contributing to Monday's market plunge and what could be in store when February's CPI data comes out on Tuesday.
Derek Shearer, former U.S. Ambassador to Finland and contributing writer for Washington Monthly, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Americans continue to feel the pain at the pump as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, joined Cheddar News to discuss how prices are being affected by the war and how much worse it could potentially get for drivers. "It's obviously a fluid situation. In one field today, I might feel differently in a half hour. But for now, I think we could see the national average realistically go somewhere into the mid $4 range, maybe $4.40 to $4.65 based on what we're seeing," he said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered its 12th day following what Ukrainian authorities described as increased shelling of encircled cities and another failed attempt to evacuate civilians from the port city of Mariupol.
Gasoline prices are pushing even farther above $4 a gallon, the highest price that American motorists have faced since July 2008, as calls grow to ban imports of Russian oil.
Jay Hatfield, Chief Investment Officer at ICAP, believes a lot of the bad news regarding the fighting in Ukraine and Fed is already priced into the market and looming uncertainty factored into Friday's movement. However, he also believes the upcoming Fed decision will be good news for Wall Street.
News of Russian forces taking control of a Ukrainian after artillery bombardment of a nuclear power plant raised concerns this week. Nuclear policy expert and Quincy Institute Distinguished Fellow Joe Cirincione joined Cheddar News to discuss the implications for a potential disaster. “I’m with the director general of the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency. He says that he is extremely concerned, and that this Russian attack is a severe risk and that Russia clearly violated the fundamental principle of preserving the integrity of nuclear power plants," Cirincione said.
Amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, major businesses from BP to Big Tech like Apple have been pausing their business dealings with the invading nation. Brian Walker, chief strategy officer at commerce software company Bloomreach, joined Cheddar News to discuss how some companies are showing support for Ukraine and what this could mean for consumers. "Whether it be impacts on energy or operational costs, shipping and logistics, or frankly impacts on the financial services industry, these will have long term implications on retail prices," he said.
