U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson warned President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort not to make statements to the media that could harm his right to a fair trial. She criticized Manafort for writing an op-ed defending his efforts in Ukraine as beneficial to the country and its relations with Western Europe.
The op-ed was published last week in Kyiv Post.
The judge warned him and said that she would consider any similar future behavior as a violation of her gag order not to discuss the case with the media or make public statements in ways that could affect the outcome of the case, Reuters reported. She emphasized that the order not to influence public opinion applies to Manafort and not only to his lawyer.
According to the judge, even the op-ed written for Ukrainian media could impact public perception in the United States of the case if posted on social media.
“All that has to happen is for that favorable article, which is going to … look on its face to be entirely independent, but is actually in part a message crafted and shaped by you … is to have somebody you know post it on Facebook, Twitter or a blog, and you have accomplished your goal, given the power of retweeting,” the judge said.
Kevin Downing, Manafort’s attorney, defended his actions.
“There is a torrent of negative press about Mr. Manafort. It’s difficult to sit and watch his reputation continue to be besmirched,” Downing said and mentioned The Washington Post as reaching a large audience with coverage of Manafort.
Jackson responded that prosecutors from Robert Mueller’s special counsel office also faced negative press.
Laundering money and failing to register as a foreign agent working on behalf of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s government are some of the charges Manafort and his associate Rick Gates are facing, Reuters reminds.
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