{"id":3133,"date":"2017-11-04T07:40:50","date_gmt":"2017-11-04T07:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?p=3133"},"modified":"2018-02-13T10:37:05","modified_gmt":"2018-02-13T10:37:05","slug":"paul-manaforts-lawyer-kevin-downing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/paul-manaforts-lawyer-kevin-downing\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Manafort\u2019s Lawyer Kevin Downing is Yet Another Department of Justice Prosecutor Who Took a Spin Through the Revolving Door"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here’s Where We’ve Met Him Before \u2013 And What It Tells Us About The Swamp<\/h3>\n

\"PaulBirds of a feather. Ever notice the gravitational pull that brings sleaze together in the legal world, how those of similar ilk find each other? Sure, everyone\u2019s entitled to a defense, but too often the ethics of high profile, highly connected power clients dovetail with those of their attorneys. We\u2019ve seen it time and again with the finance sector, as attorneys lay out roadmaps for the business model of taking what doesn\u2019t belong to you.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Now we have the dramedy of Paul Manafort and his lawyer, Kevin Downing to ponder. Before giving Downing a closer look, a quick thought on Manafort: How deep in the anything-goes corruption bubble must one be to accept neon-lit roles like manager of a presidential campaign after allegedly laundering money or fudging taxes? This arrogant detachment from reality, most recently on display with\u00a0energy grid contracts for Puerto Rico<\/a>, is what might jerk the White House rug sooner than later. I remain skeptical of Russian impacts in a 6.5 billion dollar election. Is our democracy that fragile? But how delighted Putin must be at the prospect of a national turmoil gifting us a President Pence. Yes, be careful what you wish for,\u00a0as Jane Meyer cautioned<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0New Yorker<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"American
American Gothic Revisted 2 by Nancy Ohanian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For a sober analysis of recent indictments, it\u2019s well worth your time to catch Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley on\u00a0 C-Span program Washington Journal<\/i><\/a> of Oct. 31st. For those with limited time, this should top your list. Turley: \u201cThe moral high ground in Washington has always been measured in millimeters.\u201d Here\u2019s hoping Turley\u2019s right, that ripping off all the scabs in this neck of the swamp will prove a great public education on both major parties.<\/span>
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\nNow to Kevin Downing. DWT<\/b> readers might recall his Oct. 21st, 2016 appearance in A Devil\u2019s Advocate Rings in a Bad Night for Bankers<\/a>, a piece on Swiss bank whistleblower Brad Birkenfeld and his book Lucifer\u2019s Banker<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

I interviewed Birkenfeld some time back for a still-in-progress essay on the revolving door. Birkenfeld went to the US government to reveal the jaw-dropping extent of US tax evasion via Swiss bank enablers. In a frightening insight into how the fix was in for banks, even foreign banks, at the Department of Justice under the Eric Holder crowd, the only person to go to jail was whistleblower Birkenfeld. Downing was lead DOJ prosecutor putting the screws to Birkenfeld. It appeared to this writer that an example was made of Birkenfeld, warning others who might throw light on or otherwise inconvenience the Big Money that lubricates so much of Washington\u2019s political machinery. Think of Birkenfeld\u2019s prosecution as the brilliant colors on a poison dart frog. It must rankle DOJ no end that while in prison Birkenfeld was awarded the largest IRS whistleblower award to come down the pike.<\/span>
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\n\"\"The whole book is an entertaining if alarming read, but at least zip through Devil\u2019s Advocate and\/or explore Birkenfeld\u2019s site<\/a> for the flavor of what happened. And don\u2019t miss surprise guest appearances such as then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton<\/a>, which raises important questions that to my amazement media has thus far ignored.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Excerpted from Devil\u2019s Advocate<\/em>:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The lead prosecutor (Downing) negotiated Birkenfeld\u2019s plea and signed off on his motion for a sentence reduction. Then Downing sat quietly while a judge nailed Birkenfeld with a much longer sentence than Birkenfeld was led to expect.<\/p>\n

Later, Birkenfeld discovered (Downing) signed a secret non-prosecution agreement for the UBS kingpin who oversaw the 19,000 US accounts (including all of the North and South American offshore business), the show-runner for approximately $20 billion in assets. That banker was quietly allowed to go back to Switzerland two weeks later while the US Senate committee was on summer recess.<\/p>\n

Birkenfeld’s lead prosecutor then left DOJ to partner with a law firm that’s now defending a Credit Suisse private banker who also handled US accounts (which Birkenfeld told the DOJ prosecutor about in 2007). The Credit Suisse banker is being prosecuted by another prosecutor, still at DOJ, that also dealt with Birkenfeld. Before leaving DOJ, Birkenfeld’s lead prosecutor (Downing) supervised the indictment of the Credit Suisse banker, which was signed by both prosecutors. The former prosecutor now with the law firm isn\u2019t listed as attorney of record on the case. He\u2019s merely a partner in the firm.<\/p>\n

Birkenfeld sent me a September 6th, 2016 letter after he sent it to the Federal judge hearing the case regarding the Credit Suisse banker. It\u2019s a splendid view of revolving door ethics and of Downing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Click on the tabs below to see each page of\u00a0Brad Birkenfeld’s letter)<\/span><\/p>\n