It's Manafort & Gates

And The Most Notable Loser is madly flagging another story.

Paul Manafort [President Trump’s former campaign chairman] surrendered to federal authorities Monday morning, after a person close to the case said the first charges were filed in a special counsel investigation.

Also charged was Mr. Manafort’s former business associate Rick Gates, who was also told to surrender on Monday, the person said.

  NYT

I don't believe we're talking about Russia collusion here. I've never thought that was the crime that would take down The Most Notable Loser. The arrest of Manafort's "business associate" leads me to believe I was right.  Of course, there may be collusion somewhere in there, too.  I just think that one's too hard to prove, and frankly, the DNC also buying info from Russians puts everybody in the same pot.  I'm sticking with money laundering and racketeering until proven otherwise.

Mr. Manafort had been under investigation for violations of federal tax law, money laundering and whether he appropriately disclosed his foreign lobbying.

[...]

Attempts to reach Mr. Gates on Monday were not successful.

[...]

Mr. Gates is a longtime protégé and junior partner of Mr. Manafort. His name appears on documents linked to companies that Mr. Manafort’s firm set up in Cyprus to receive payments from politicians and businesspeople in Eastern Europe

That's not clear to me whether Gates absconded or the Times just couldn't reach him. The money laundering aspect of the investigation ought to encompass the Trump organization. I suppose we shall see. This could be a long, drawn out process. It could, in fact, last for the rest of The Most Notable Loser's term, which gives him plenty of time to destroy what's left of the country.

Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Ty Cobb, said there were no concerns that Mr. Manafort would offer damaging information about the president in exchange for a deal.

We'll see. That may depend on whom he fears more: the Russian mob or the FBI. I know who I'd pick.

As for Rick Gates, I don't recall hearing about him before.

Gates’ name first became publicly known during the Republican National Convention when Gates was accused of being responsible for the alleged plagiarism of Melania Trump’s convention speech. However, another woman later took the blame for cribbing some phrases from Michelle Obama’s speech.

  Heavy

So, that's even taking the whole thing closer into Trump campaign territory. Why would Manafort's business associate be involved at all?

Politico reported that Manafort, the man Trump hired (briefly) as his “new chief campaign strategist” brought in people with lobbying histories to hold key positions in the Trump campaign. One of those people, said Politico, was Rick Gates.

According to Politico, Gates “was identified as an agent of a Ukrainian oligarch in a 2011 racketeering lawsuit that also named Manafort.”

Okay. Two fellow racketeers in the Trump campaign.

Gates was heavily involved in efforts to make sure that party rules were not changed at the Republican National Convention in a way that would hurt Trump.

Ah, the mob style of persuasion. Start with threats.

Before he was suspended [from Twitter, Roger] Stone had tweeted that he spoke with former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort after the CNN story and that Manafort indicated he knew nothing about the special prosecutor’s action.

Stone called Manafort? Those were scrambling, worrying moments, weren't they? If Manafort is planning to flip on The Most Notable Loser, he's not going to tell Roger Stone, is he?

UPDATE: