Pandering

Moments after Donald Trump's campaign manager Paul Manafort was found guilty in a criminal court for a second time within a month and sentenced to federal prison, the latter's attorney went before reporters outside the courthouse and said the following:

"Judge Jackson conceded that there was absolutely no evidence of any Russian collusion in this case. So that makes two courts. Two courts have ruled no evidence of any collusion with any Russians."

That was an monstrous lie (verification here).

Neither judge in either of Manafort's criminal trials said anything remotely like this. In fact, both judges went out of their way to say, emphatically, on the record that the trials did not address the issue of collusion.

Manafort's lawyer has been peddling this shopworn lie since his client was first indicted. In October of 2017, he was saying much the same thing (details here).

And every time he tells this lie, Trump tweets about it, as if it's a total vindication. The media reports how this is outright dishonest, but his followers have no idea what's going on because they only listen to him.

This leads one to wonder what's really happening here. Was this outrageous lie prearranged between Trump's attorneys and Manafort's? Or was Trump just using Manafort's attorney as a useful idiot?

Or is Manafort's lawyer lying like this in hopes Trump will reward him by pardoning Manafort?

Whatever the answer, it's sleazy and disgusting. Worse, it demonstrates how Trump will cravenly stoop to any level in order to cling to power.