June 22, 2019: Text Messages between Sean Hannity and Paul Manafort Point to Plan to Obstruct Justice

 

Sean Hannity speaks at Trump rally.
Behind the scenes he hints at a pardon for a key witness.

 

6/22/19: President Trump would like us to believe that the Mueller Report clears his name and nothing sneaky, involving multiple Russians, followed by repeated attempts to obstruct justice, occurred. 

 

____________________ 

Manafort would have been the critical witness. Keeping him quiet was paramount.

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It turns out another big name on the right was doing his part to thwart investigators. Namely, that pompous, fake-patriot windbag, Sean Hannity. 

It is well known that Hannity and Trump talk nightly, just before the president shuffles off to bed. That made the Fox News commentator the perfect go-between when Trump wanted to get a message to Paul Manafort, when Manafort was in the crosshairs of federal authorities. 

As the Mueller Report makes clear, Manafort would have been the critical witness if he revealed all he knew. 

Keeping him quite was paramount. 

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson has ordered release of 56 pages of text messages that passed between the two men. What we quickly learn is that Hannity had repeatedly made it clear to Manafort that he had a very good friend in the White House. 

 

A sampling of their messages, with editorial comment:

 

8/9/17 

Hannity: Please know you are in my prayers. 

Manafort: Thank you. I need them. I feel so violated. 

Blogger: Manafort’s home has just been raided. Those dirty rats from the F.B.I.! Just because they have evidence to indicate Manafort might have been working with Russian agents during the 2016 campaign.

 

8/11/17 

Hannity: I am truly frightened the constitution is being shredded, (no 4 th Amendment protections) no equal justice under the law. I am truly frightened for the future of this country we love. God help us and the world if we don’t get this straightened out. I pray that God give you grace and peace in this difficult moment. I sadly know from experience that in times like these friends will abandon you… 

If you just ever want to talk, grab dinner, vent, strategize—whatever, I am here. I know this is very hard. Stand tall and strong. 

Blogger: Hannity is on his side. And he won’t abandon him. And if Hannity is on his side, it is implied that the president is on his side. Let’s “strategize.” Maybe we can obstruct justice. That would be cool.

 

Manafort: I appreciate what you tried to do [on your show]. Mueller is trying to intimidate me. The raid is just one example. I won’t let him succeed but it is very lonely fighting this fight. I feel all alone out there. Except for you and a few others, our side is not engaged. 

Blogger: Can you help me? Can you make sure the president is thinking about ways to save my money-laundering, tax-cheating, witness-tampering ass?

 

Hannity: Call me, text me, email me. Let’s eat talk and anything I can do to help [emphasis added, unless otherwise noted]… I’m not a fair weather friend. 

Blogger: Hannity want’s Manafort to know. He speaks for Trump. He’s in Manafort’s corner.

 

Hannity: Paul, like u, I don’t give a shit about me. I do care about this amazing country that is soooo sooo off course and experience real corruption. And I’m gonna fight for the country I love...Then poor Gen Flynn. What they did to HIM WAS ILLEGAL. 

Blogger: Flynn has been fired for lying to Vice President Pence. Hannity and Manafort are texting at 3 a.m.

 

Hannity: I made more this year than my mom, dad and all their brothers and sisters and my grandparents made combined in their lifetimes. 

Manafort: Your life story, and mine, are the reasons this country was created. 

Blogger: Manafort has been working for pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs for a decade. His main guy eventually flees to Russian after the Ukrainian people revolt in protest against massive corruption. Manafort has millions hidden in offshore bank accounts in Cyprus. He’s a tax cheat. 

That’s not why this country was created. 

Several weeks elapse. The “friends” don’t text again till late September.

 

9/26/17 

Hannity: “How are u holding up?” 

Blogger: Hannity wants to remind Manafort, hey, we’re still thinking about you. A pardon might be nice in the end.

 

10/25/17 

Manafort: Thank you for fighting for our country. 

Hannity: I’m sick of these lies. COME ON WITH ME WITH YOUR ATTY BEFORE THEY TRY AND ATTACK U MORE 

Blogger: Hannity wants Manafort to come on his show and he’ll help spread the Manafort version of the truth. 

Hannity really likes this guy who has been a tool of Russian-leaning Ukrainian oligarchs. Manafort was also a founder of a lobbying group that promised to burnish the image of various tyrants and authoritarian governments. He and partner Roger Stone, who also worked for Trump in 2016, acquired a reputation for amorality and questionable ethics. In 1992, The Center for Public Integrity, reporting on their work, listed Manafort and Stone’s group as one of the top five comprising “The Torturers’ Lobby.” 

Manafort and Stone’s firm made at least $3.3 million representing the kinds of governments who torture and kill their own citizens.

 

10/30/17 

Hannity: Hey You OK? 

Manafort: Yes. Rough day but yes. Their [federal prosecutors] case is totally BS. Wrong on law and wrong on facts. 

Blogger: We learn soon the case is strong, the evidence voluminous. Manafort’s own tax accountant will testify against him.

 

11/8/17 

Manafort: I am dealing with this gag order on me and my lawyers. Building a plan B. 

Hannity: Ok. Can we talk tonight? 

Blogger: Hannity seems to be suggesting that the defendant simply ignores the gag order.

 

11/14/17 

Manafort: They are still f’ing with me on bail. Getting close [to being able to come on Hannity’s show]. Once dine then we need to sit and build a plan…Hopefully Sessions moves on new Spec Pros 

Hannity: He has to [do?] it [or?] he is gone…Talked to a friend. 

Blogger: Hang on. The president is going to fire Attorney General Sessions. A new AG will get rid of Robert Mueller. Hold on, Paul, we’re going to rescue your ass. Everyone at Fox News will later argue that Trump never wanted to fire Mueller – which would have been clear evidence that he planned to obstruct justice. 

Here, Hannity seems to know that Trump plans exactly that. 

Manafort: Fingers crossed you are right.

 

11/28/17 

Hannity: Hope you had a great thanksgiving 

Blogger: Hannity is saying, “I am really spending a lot of time caring about you, even though the free press has revealed your meeting with Russian agents in Trump Tower.” 

(It will later be proven that Manafort met secretly with a Russian agent in August 2016, as well.)

 

Manafort: I did. Spent it with my family and my 3 month old grandson…Hope you had a good one. 

Manafort: But I cannot allow them to win. It would empower them to go after DT [Trump] and lots of others. 

Blogger: “I need help,” Manafort means. I have damaging information. I could tell investigators that Trump knew about both my secret meetings with Russians.

 

Hannity: The country can’t allow it. 

Manafort: Plus i plan on helping on the re elect! 

Blogger: Manafort is currently serving seven years in prison. He won’t be out in time to work on the 2020 campaign. 

Or the 2024 campaign, probably.

 

12/7/17 

Manafort: Your monologue was the best summary ever of the case against Mueller and his team 

Hannity: F him 

Blogger: Yeah, “F him.” All Mueller ever did was head the F.B.I. for years and build a reputation for integrity. Also: Mueller is a decorated war hero who was wounded in Vietnam. But Fake-Patriot Sean loves Paul! 

Neither he nor Manafort served this country in uniform.

 

12/25/17 

Hannity: My brother, thinking about you. Merry Christmas and 2018 is the year of exposing the TRUTH!!! 

Manafort: Sean, your ears must have been burning. Just told my relatives who you will not give up ever! Merry Christmas to you and your family. Paul 

Blogger: Trump and Hannity are thinking about Paul. They should have sent him a present. A nice Christmas sweater maybe, the kind that lights up.

 

1/3/18 

Manafort: I told my lawyer that i want him to find a way to give you an interview on this complaint [one of numerous legal moves in the case]. He will need to navigate carefully re not violating the gag order in the criminal case, but i think we can figure that out. He said he will give me a sense tomorrow of how we can do it. 

Hannity: We can tape it. 

Blogger: Anything for you, brother, Hannity agrees. We are on the same side, protecting you…and protecting the president.

 

1/17/18 

Manafort: You were awesome last night.

 

1/24/18 

Manafort: In a fair world you would get a Pulitzer for your incredible reporting. 

Hannity: LOL. I’ll take those assholes going to jail.

 

1/25/18 

Manafort: They [the Mueller team] are running out of time…and have nothing but BS charges on me. They are threatening me with more charges because they realize their case is weak and I am not bending to their pressure. JK threats [threats to indict Jared Kushner] may be another way they are trying to get DT to agree to interview. 

Hannity: He won’t agree. The lawyers will fight tooth and nail. 

Blogger: Trump’s guilty. He can’t testify under oath because he’ll lie so many times, even a crack team of investigators will have a hard time keeping track. You’re guilty, too. We both know it; but we will stymie these guys together. Sean and Paul! Like Batman and Robin, only committing crimes, not stopping them.

 

Hannity: Weissmann [Andrew; one of Mueller’s investigators] is a piece of shit…This is a National fing disgrace. 

Blogger: Sure. Pursuing a tax cheat. What an “fing disgrace.”

 

1/26/18 

Manafort: Great show tonight. This story on Trump wanting to fire Mueller is another OSC [Office of Special Counsel] leak – which is illegal. 

Blogger: The president later denies he ever told the White House Chief Counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller. McGahn says he did. Someone is lying. 

(It’s Trump.)

 

2/3/2018 

Manafort: …Thank you and God bless you for what you just said about Flynn and me. 

Hannity: Later [on the show] I say charges need to be dropped. 

Manafort: I know they are scared because they have been pressing me and I told them to fuck off. 

Hannity: I’m in campaign war mode every day…I am disgusted at this corruption. It should not happen in the USA I can tell u POTUS is disgusted too 

Blogger: Hint, hint, hint: Trump is on your side, Paul.

 

Manafort: I live in a nightmare every day…But I won’t give in 

Hannity: Flynn agreed to “lying” because they said they would go after his son. 

Blogger: Flynn absolutely lied to Vice President Pence; he also took $530,000 from Turkish interests while working on Trump’s 2016 campaign, which would be an absolute conflict of interest. 

Hannity doesn’t care.

 

2/22/18 

Manafort: The SP [Special Prosecutor] just filed more charges against me. They are BS but it is still depressing…Taxes and bank fraud. Honestly, it’s pure intimidation …[Rick] Gates new lawyer is going to be fine. Gates is in for ling haul 

Hannity: Nobody has any idea what this guy is up to. I keep warning everyone 

Manafort: Gates is totalky united with trump and m 

Hannity: They want Trump BADLY 

Manafort: Yes and they are pummeling me to cave These charges are so crazy. They are meant to destroy me 

Blogger: Gates, Manafort’s business partner for years, cuts a deal and pleads guilty. He later testifies that he and Manafort both knew they were communicating with Russian agents during the 2016 campaign.

 

3/7/18 

Hannity: We r all on the same team [he has just mentioned Roger Stone in another text] 

Manafort: And we will prevail 

Blogger: The message for Manafort: Keep lying, we are Team Liars, you, Stone, the president, and me. I will lie to my viewers. I will tell them I love America when I’m essentially conspiring with felons.

 

3/14/18 

Hannity: Why don’t u get a sweetheart deal like Gates 

Manafort: They would want me to give up Dt [Trump] or family, esp. JK [Kushner]. I would never do that. 

Blogger: Paul to Sean: Tell Trump when you call him tonight. I really need a pardon. Or: I might have to cut a deal.

 

3/23/18 

Manafort: Ok Call me on 917-562-0567

 

4/10/18 

Hannity: Time to say F u and go to war. 

Manafort: Yes 

Hannity: They will get Jared…And try to get Potus to explode…Maximum damage to country. Deep state wins 

Manafort: Sessions is totally worthless…By the way, [Judge Amy Berman] Jackson denied me bail today. Declared most of my hard assets couldn’t be used, all on BS reasons…So I may be stuck if I can’t find 2.5 m. 

Hannity: It’s horrible. Michael [Cohen] is a total mess. 

Manafort: These guys started with me, but Cohen isn’t the end. They are fascists. And true criminals. Sessions needs some balls. 

Blogger: Trump fires Sessions the day after the midterm elections in November. He’s angry because Sessions hasn’t “protected” him. Cohen pleads guilty to eight felonies and says Trump ordered him to commit two.

 

5/4/18: 

Manafort: It was a big day. This judge really came down hard on all the key points on illegal delegation [a judge has expressed concern that the case being built against Manafort is really being built to get at the president], anti DT motives, improper over reach. If he rules correctly everyone benefits from me to DT to JK et all. 

Hannity: Massive. Tune into radio now 

Manafort: Next week I do my motion to tgrow out gag order as violation if my 1^st amend rights. I will win it. Then you are the first appearance I do 

Hannity: I am told DT is pumped 

Manafort: Do you think you can use today to give my defense fund a promote? 

Blogger: Paul really needs cash, or he might have to talk. Trump is pumped because he thinks he might get away with lies and obstruction.

 

5/7/18 

Manafort: S I have a favor to ask. I am going live with both a GoFundMe and Facebook defense fund sight tonight around 7:00pm. Do you think you can do a tweet or a like to the site? 

Hannity: Paul it would be problematic with Fox. I need to get the ok. Hope u understand. 

Blogger: Even Fox News has ethical standards. Hannity has none.

 

5/18/19: 

Hannity: Brought up your case with Rudy [Giuliani] 

Manafort: Rudy seems to get it 

Blogger: Sean wants Manafort to know Trump’s newest lawyer is on his side. Remember, keep your mouth shut if you want a pardon.

 

6/5/18 

Manafort: S I know you know this but for the record: This Mueller claim of jury tampering is a total lie. It is the latest squeeze. Just wanted you to hear it from me. 

Hannity: Ok. Got it. Understand. These real crimes committed and ignored disgust me. Fisa HRC [Hannity believes Hillary Rodham Clinton is a criminal; and the FISA courts were wrong to allow an investigation into conduct by several members of the Trump 2016 campaign.] 

Blogger: On August 8, 2018, a jury finds Manafort guilt on eight felony counts. A lone juror hangs the jury, 11-1 for conviction, on ten more. 

In September, Manafort pleads “guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and one count of conspiracy against the U.S.” That gives him ten felonies. He agrees to a plea deal and admits that the other ten felony counts (which resulted in a hung jury) were correct. He says he will cooperate with the Mueller team. 

In November, Mueller accuses Manafort of breaching the plea deal and adds a charge of witness tampering. 

On February 13, 2019, Judge Amy Berman Jackson rules that Manafort did indeed violate his plea agreement. First, he lied about, “interactions with the former Russian intelligence operative Konstantin Kilimnik and Kilimnik’s role in the alleged conspiracy to obstruct justice by trying to influence the testimony of two witnesses in February.” Second, he withheld information that was “pertinent to another Department of Justice investigation.” 

The bromance comes to an end, at least in traceable form. Hannity may have been spooked after Manafort was convicted. 

As far as we know, all text messages cease. 

Kilimnik is charged with felonies of his own – but he evades arrest and absconds to…Russia. Same with the Russian lawyer who met with Manafort, Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner in June 2016 at Trump Tower. 

That lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, also flees to Russia to avoid arrest.

 

BLOGGER’S NOTE: On his way out the door, in the wake of defeat in the November 2020 election, President Trump grants Manafort the pardon that Hannity had hinted repeatedly would be his if he refused to spill the beans.