It's Friday, so of course Robert Mueller has been a busy, busy bee, especially since Trump Deputy Campaign Manager Rick Gates pleaded guilty to two crimes: Conspiracy against the United States and lying to federal prosecutors.
After Gates pleaded guilty, Paul Manafort issued what feels like a menacing statement about the plea.
"Notwithstanding that Rick Gates pled today, I continue to maintain my innocence," Manafort wrote. I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence. For reasons yet to surface he chose to do otherwise."
"This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled up charges contained in the indictments against me," he vowed.
Gates pleaded guilty to lying on February 1st to Mueller's team about a meeting which took place in 2013. The meeting included Manafort and Russia's Congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, along with former congressman and lobbyist Vin Weber. Gates lied and said there was no discussion about Ukraine, in spite of the fact that there was.
Dana Rohrabacher needs to go, and go now. Paul Ryan has known that he is a Russian tool for a long time, and yet he is still there. He needs to resign. Rohrabacher was not elected to represent Russia, but that is what he is doing.
Finally, the Mueller team has filed new charges against Manafort, alleging that he "secretly retained a group of former senior European politicians to take positions favorable to Ukraine, including by lobbying in the United States."
I repeat: Rohrabacher must resign.
Manafort is toast, and we are just at the tippy-tip of the iceberg.
