When Manafort’s lawyers brought a civil case challenging the scope of Mueller’s investigation legal pundits insisted its frivolousness would actually hurt his defense in the Virginia criminal case; I argued the contrary and never understood that rationale. Manafort’s lawyers took an aggressive approach and I argued they should press the scope is wherever possible. Although a difficult hill to climb in civil litigation (it was rejected), so what? Meanwhile, at least last Friday, it resonated in the criminal litigation.
