U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled against Paul Manafort Friday, dismissing his case against the Department of Justice claiming it had overstepped its boundaries.
AP:
Manafort's attorneys had initially asked Jackson to throw out all charges against Manafort, arguing that [Special Counsel Robert] Mueller had exceeded his authority by bringing charges unrelated to Russian election interference.
They dropped the bulk of their challenge in recent weeks, asking Jackson to nullify a paragraph in Mueller's appointment order. They also asked Jackson to issue an order protecting Manafort from future prosecutions by Mueller. The Justice Department had moved for dismissal of the lawsuit.
WaPo:
Courts should not “interfere with or enjoin an ongoing criminal investigation when the defendant will have the opportunity to challenge any defects in the prosecution in the trial court or on direct appeal,” Jackson wrote, adding, “The court finds that this civil complaint must be dismissed.”
(...)
Manafort’s attorneys have argued Mueller exceeded his authority by charging Manafort with numerous felonies, including conspiracy, bank and tax fraud, and money laundering, related to work done before 2014 on behalf of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president at the time, Viktor Yanukovych.
The defense has focused on a provision that authorizes the special counsel to investigate possible collusion between Trump officials and the Russian government as well as “any matters that arose or may arise directly from” that investigation.
(...)
Manafort attorney Kevin M. Downing said the provision gave prosecutors a “blank check” to pursue any matters, and argue that his dealings in Ukraine ended in 2014, before he joined Trump’s campaign.
Prosecutors defended their investigation into Manafort, saying his status as a top Trump campaign official and his long standing ties to Russian-backed politicians, oligarchs and others warranted a probe into whether any served as “back channels” or a means for “surreptitious communications.”
Judge tosses Manafort civil suit challenging special counsel (Associated Press)
U.S. judge tosses Paul Manafort suit seeking to bar special counsel Mueller from bringing future charges (Washington Post)