Paul Manafort and Rick Gates made their third federal court appearance Monday, and U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she wants the two men to put more assets on the line before she will take them off house arrest. She also disagreed with prosecutors' willingness to forgo GPS monitoring:
[Prosecutor Greg] Andres said that it was the government's view that, once the defendants had surrendered their passports and posted a sufficient bond, "we didn't think the GPS monitoring was required."
Jackson said that if a proper package of property and financial guarantees were posted, she would allow the men out of home confinement. However, she said she was inclined to require continued GPS monitoring, impose a curfew and to limit their travel to airports.
The difficulty for Jackson is that Manafort's net worth is almost impossible to quantify and she believes both men pose a flight risk.
The government currently estimates Manafort's net worth at $28 million, and Jackson is using that estimate to demand he post more assets to ensure he will continue to return to court.
The judge says once she has a proposal she can approve, Manafort would be able to travel to New York, Florida and Northern Virginia. Gates would be able to travel to Richmond.
The judge has yet to set a trial date, but she did schedule a status conference for December 11th.
Judge considers conditions to release Manafort and Gates (Politico)
Judge wants more in assets before relaxing confinement for Manafort, Gates (CBS News)