MSNBC's Ari Melber said Thursday that Paul Manafort's post-indictment obstruction was right out of the Mafia's playbook -- and re-opened questions about the Trump presidential campaign's possible collusion with Russia, after his lawyer's statement from the courthouse steps.
"Paul Manafort had the book thrown at him yesterday for a bunch of felonies including post-indictment obstruction. That is mafia gangster type stuff," Melber said. "A lot of people when they get indicted they get scared, and they deal with the indictments. Most people -and this is a legal fact- don't commit new crimes post-indictment. Paul Manafort did, Judge Jackson rebuked him for that."
Melber harshly mocked Manafort's "no collusion" defense as "talking about something he's not even accused of", and said his legal team was on thin ice.
"It looked like an appeal for a pardon," he said, noting that Manafort's lawyer was "fact checked in real time" by the protestors outside.
"When you are arguing for something that is not before the judge, and you might get more jail time for it , it raises the question why," Melber went on. "That seemed like an appeal for a pardon and it re-raises the question of collusion. And remember, Mueller is not done, so we'll see."
Watch the video below.
