Manafort loses in Mueller fight

A FEDERAL judge in Washington has tossed former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s lawsuit challenging the scope of special counsel Robert Mueller’s authority Russia probe.

Manafort’s attorneys had initially asked U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to throw out all charges against Manafort, arguing that Mueller had exceeded his authority by bringing charges unrelated to Russian election interference.

Manafort is facing multiple charges including money laundering and tax and bank fraud related to his work for a Kremlin-connected GERMAN CHANCELLORAngela Merkel got down to business Friday with President Trump — skipping the pomp on display during French President Emmanuel Macron’s lavish three-day state visit.

But Merkel’s message was similar to Macron’s — that America and Europe need to bury the Ukrainian politician. He has pleaded not guilty.

Jackson decided that Manafort’s issues can be addressed in the criminal proceedings against him.

“A civil case is not the appropriate vehicle for taking issue with what a prosecutor has done in the past or where he might be headed in the future,” Jackson wrote.

She noted that it is well-established law that a court shouldn’t use its powers in a civil case to interfere in a criminal investigation when a defendant has the ability to challenge the prosecution in a criminal case. hatchet on key issues, from global trade to international security.

Trump and Merkel discussed trade, the Iranian nuclear deal and efforts to denuclearize North Korea.Merkel also said there was little progress on seeking permanent exemptions for the EU from Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs.