Patten's plea and cooperation agreement is connected to special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the election and coordination with the Trump campaign -- even apparently reaching into former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's inner circle in Ukraine. This is the first time the Justice Department has publicly charged a person for helping a foreigner secretly funnel money into a Trump political event. Under his deal with prosecutors, Patten is charged only with one criminal count. He faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felony charge. A sentencing date has not been set. Patten sought tickets to Trump's inauguration on behalf of an unnamed prominent Ukrainian oligarch, according to court documents released Friday, ultimately paying $50,000 for four tickets. Patten used another American as a "straw purchaser," funneling the Ukrainian's money secretly to the inaugural committee through a Cypriot bank account. "Patten was aware at the time that the Presidential Inauguration Committee could not accept money from foreign nationals," prosecutors wrote in the filing. Rudy Giuliani, the President's lawyer, told reporters Friday Patten's case had nothing to do with his client. "It turned about to be this irrelevant indictment, where I think Mueller has turned out to be a private prosecutor," Giuliani said. "What does this have to do with President Trump? Not a single thing. It has nothing to do with collusion, some guy who donated to the inauguration? My goodness,they had 500,000 people donate to the inauguration -- every time they get a speeding ticket is Mueller going to do it?" Fox News previously reported that Russian oligarchs have also been questioned about donations to the Trump campaign and inauguration.
Read the Starr article I posted. Starr admits the impeachment had nothing to do with the original investigation. He claims he had a responsibility to look at the possible obstruction, lying etc. that come out of the Paula Jones lawsuit.
This is terrible IMO. For many it will justify Mueller looking into everything and anything. They want you bad enough, they will find something.
This ain't over and IMO Trump will continue to be investigated and most of the other leads they find will not. And with Republicans in charge no less.
