Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was indicted Monday, along with longtime business associate Rick Gates. The pair are the first charged in Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

However, the charges have nothing to do with the election or President Trump.

Instead, Manafort and Gates face money laundering and conspiracy charges stemming from their work as political consultants and lobbyists for Ukraine. As CNN reports, the 12-count indictment 

… alleges that they received tens of millions of dollars for their Ukraine work, and to hide that income, they laundered the money through “scores of United States and foreign corporations, partnerships, and bank accounts.”

This afternoon both men pleaded not guilty. 

Trump was quick to tweet the charges didn’t involve him, his campaign or any alleged collusion. He also alluded to Clinton’s connections to Russia. He may have had good reason, as we’ll see below.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

….Also, there is NO COLLUSION!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

However, shortly after Trump’s tweets another shoe dropped. The DOJ revealed that a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. George Papadopoulos lied about contacts with an “overseas professor” he knew had “substantial contacts with Russian government officials.” He had told agents those contacts happened before he joined the Trump team. Turns out the contacts came days after. Papadopoulos also admitted lying about his interactions with a Russian official. 

Is Trump Still in Mueller’s Sights?

Naturally, news about Trump’s campaign manager and adviser has the Left and media assuming Trump’s head is next on the plate. Liberal law icon Alan Dershowitz has long questioned the Trump Russia “collusion” allegation. Nonetheless, Dershowitz thinks Mueller is hoping to flip Manafort. He told Fox News he thinks Mueller will try to cut a deal, promising Manafort a “get out of jail card” if he implicates the Trump campaign.

MSNBC’s Steve Benon made Trump the focus of his story on the indictment. He also made hay over a multi-million deal Manfort signed to promote Putin’s interests before joining Trump’s campaign. Benon also blasted Manfort’s lobbying for a pro-Putin political party in Ukraine. Indeed it is the Ukraine dealings that currently have Manafort in hot water.

However, MSNBC’s myopic focus on Trump misses a few points: 

1. Mueller’s probe has clearly broadened far beyond whatever happened in the campaign.
2. Manafort’s financial dealings with Russia and Ukraine in the years before he joined Trump are obviously in play.
3. As was reported last week, Manafort had long teamed with The Podesta Group in lobbying for Russia.
4. The Podesta Group was up to its neck in the Ukraine business Manafort’s been charged over. In fact, Gates was their liaison.
5. The Podesta Group’s lobbying efforts are being investigated by Mueller. 
6. The Podesta Group’s lobbying for Russia included the Uranium One deal.
7. Mueller was head of the FBI when the FBI uncovered Russia’s massive bribery scheme to influence U.S. policy and grab our uranium. 

The Podesta Group was founded by Clinton campaign manager and longtime confidant John Podesta and his brother Tony. Tony was also a bundler for Hillary. (Peter Schweitzer laid out some of John Podesta’s personal Russian dealings in a July article for the NY Post.)

And now comes this breaking news from Politico: Tony Podesta stepped down today as head of Podesta Group. He reportedly told staff he “needs to fight this (the Mueller investigation) as an individual, but doesn’t want the firm to fight it.” 

The $145 Million Question

So the $145 million question today is, “What is Mueller’s aim? Truth or Trump?”

Is Mueller interesting in “getting” Trump or getting to the bottom of Putin’s influence peddling during the Obama/Clinton years? 

If Trump is his focus, the President is far from being out of the woods. If Mueller’s playing it straight, then the Left’s glee over Manafort’s indictment will be short-lived.  In fact, as Podesta’s resignation signals, the “reset” button may well blow up on the Democrats.

The tale is only starting to be told. It’s final shape a mystery.

I have no idea what the true ultimate significance of the Manafort indictment will be — and neither does anyone else.

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) October 30, 2017