Perhaps. But charges of state tax evasion would be filed in nothing flat. Manafort was convicted of not paying Federal income taxes. Not paying state income taxes is an entirely different (if related) crime and Trump can't save him from that. Same for Cohen which is why he is negotiating the jail term, if there was gonna be a pardon then why implicate Trump and why negotiate how much time you gonna spend in jail.
You don’t know that. Mueller is charged to pursue any other matters that arise. You have no idea what the feds know now or knew before. Throwing everything in one pot and cleaning it all up under the same umbrella may have been the best option.
Now, Paulie and Mikey have to do the time. Don’t think they’re out of game just yet. They can wake up in their 5 x 8 3 months from now and say screw it and start singing...
I feel bad for Flynn. He was most definitely screwed over. Manafort and Cohen were scumbags that got what was coming to them - but a good rational argument could be made that Mueller should have referred the charges. I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of this all Trump was found to be in violation of Federal election law (Cohen's payments) but Russian collusion is a stretch and a dead end. I hope that Mueller publishes the origins of the Steele dossier and the Trump campaign FISA warrants.
Of course. Rosenstein wrote up his authorization and scope. And gave him a full witch-hunting license.
I think fairness demands a prosecutor examine everything Hillary, her family and associates have done for the past 15 years or so and see if any of it could be called illegal. Or we could just accept that we live in a country where it is very hazardous to upset the Deep State.