Paul Manafort Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison; ISIS Threat Far from Over; North Korea Documentary Shows Successful Hanoi Summit
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello, everybody. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Ahead this hour, Paul Manafort sentenced to four years in jail for more than a decade of financial crimes. A punishment well short of what prosecutors recommended in the highest profile criminal case so far in the Russia investigation. ISIS fighters appear to be giving up on their dream of an Islamic State but many remain dedicated to their ideology of hate. Never before seen images from one of the more documented events of the 20th century.</s>VAUSE: Handing down a jaw dropping lenient sentence, Judge T.S. Ellis said Paul Manafort had lived an otherwise blameless life. The former chairman of the Trump campaign had been found guilty of hiding millions of dollars from authorities. Prosecutors said for more than a decade he acted above the law, was engaged in a sophisticated scheme involving tax evasion and bank fraud. Judge Ellis rejected guidelines from prosecutors that recommended somewhere between 19 and 25 years in jail. He said because of that otherwise blameless life he sentenced Manafort to 47 months in jail less nine months for time already served. Manafort will also have to pay at least $6 million restitution to the U.S. government. A sentence hearing comes next week on another case involving conspiracy and witness tampering.</s>VAUSE: Jessica Levinson is a Professor of Law at Loyola Law School and she joins us now from Los Angeles. Jessica, good to see you.</s>JESSICA LEVINSON, PROFESSOR OF LAW, LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL: Good to be with you.</s>VAUSE: OK, it's very rare for prosecutors to appeal a sentence. But given the 15-year gap between you know, the sentence that was handed out and the loss end of the guidelines, do they have a case here or do you think they'll wait and see what happens in that second sentencing hearing next week?</s>LEVINSON: I think they're going to wait and see what happens in the D.C. sentencing that will happen next week. And -- but I think there's no doubt that this is obviously way below the sentencing guidelines and way below what the prosecutors asked and frankly way below what this judge has given in other cases that we could argue are far less serious. I mean, CNN reported this as a shocking sentence and I think that that is absolutely the way to describe it. We have Paul Manafort described as having an otherwise less life. And yet if you look at what he has been accused of, pled guilty to and convicted of, it tells a very different story.</s>VAUSE: Yes. That otherwise blameless life will be sentenced for you know, for witness tampering and conspiracy next week. Judge Ellis, he was nominated by Ronald Reagan, a conservative and during this trial, Ellis continually badgered the prosecution you know, from the Mueller team. Here's part of a report from The Washington Post back in August. Ellis was said to the prosecutors, you don't really care about Mr. Manafort's bank fraud. You really care about getting information Mr. Manafort can give you that would reflect on Mr. Trump and lead to his prosecution or impeachment. Ellis also accused Mueller's office of trying to turn the screws and get the information you really want. The comments earned quick praise from Trump. I've been saying that for a long time. It's a witch hunt. You know, in line o this lenient sentence, do those comments come into play here? Are there any red flags there?</s>LEVINSON: Well, so there's red flags to the extent that -- I mean, I think you and I actually talked about at the time. I mean, this was a judge who was let's say kind of euphemistically crotchety, that he was giving the prosecutors a hard time, that he was making statements that frankly I think shouldn't have been made in a courtroom regarding what the prosecutors were really after here. But was he -- I mean, were these statements problematic to the level that we think he couldn't carry out his duties, I would say that is an extremely high bar and I don't think we were anywhere near that. Now we've talked a lot about federal judges. They have an enormous amount of discretion. And again, these sentencing guidelines are just that. There's no mandatory minimums and a judge can basically decide -- I mean if the judge wanted to come down for the bench, give Paul Manafort a bear hug and say it sounds like you feel really sorry about this, go on with your life, that's within the judge's discretion to do so.</s>VAUSE: Well, Lawrence Tribe professor of law at Harvard University tweeted this. Judge Ellis' assessment that Manafort led an otherwise blameless life is proof that he's unfit to serve on the federal bench. I've rarely been more disgusted by a judge transparently preferential treatment to a rich white guy who betrayed the law the nation. A civil sentiment too from Democrat Senator and presidential contender Democrat Elizabeth Warren. She tweeted, Trump's campaign manager Paul Manafort commits bank and tax fraud gets 47 months. A homeless man's Fate Winslow helped sell $20 of pot but life in prison. The words above the Supreme Court say equal justice under the law. When will we start acting like it? So the anger in this shock here of this entity goes way beyond you know, any sort of similar of your know, political politics here.</s>VAUSE: It seems to be widespread.</s>LEVINSON: It does and I think for entirely understandable reasons. I mean, I will say that I made a prediction that Paul Manafort was going to be seeing something around 20 years and you know, I don't just have egg on my face, I have an omelet on my face. And I don't think that people really suspected this. And I think that what we're looking at here is a judge who again has looked at a 37-year-old woman who was dealing methamphetamines and gave her 40 years in prison and said something like well, I kind of chafe at this but I have to carry out my duties. Now, I -- you know we can think of a lot of reasons why these two situations were treated differently but I do think that this is a problematically low sentence. However, I would say as a bit of caution. I think it is far more problematic if we start to go into federal courtrooms and second guest judges and or take this as a systemic problem in the judicial system. There's a reason that judges aren't elected. There's a reason that they have lifetime appointments and it's because I still think more often than not it's better to take popular will out of the courtroom.</s>VAUSE: I get -- you know, I'm not sure if Manafort you know, with this sentencing probably you know, end up dying in jail. The only way that will happen I guess is if he's hit by a bus at some point. Manafort's attorney came out made a brief statement after the sentence was announced. This is what he said.</s>KEVIN DOWNING, LAWYER OF PAUL MANAFORT: As you heard in court today, Manafort finally got to speak for himself and made clear he accepts responsibility for his conduct. And I think most importantly what you saw today is the same thing that we had said from day one. There's absolutely no evidence that Paul Manafort was involved any collusion with any government official from Russia.</s>VAUSE: That's the only comment he made on camera, no Russia collusion. The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff says it's no accident. Manafort's lawyer basically repeated the president's mantra of no collusion. Schiff believes it's a deliberate appeal to the president for a pardon. You know -- because even before this trial began, Judge Ellis banned any discussion of Russia. It was a pre-trial motion. There was no talk of Russia, no talk of collusion. So you know, is there any other conclusion which can be drawn from the statement made by Manafort's lawyer other than the fact that it is effective plea for pardon.</s>LEVINSON: Well, it's a plea for a pardon or it's a very -- it's a very conveniently consistent message with the president. I would also say, I think it's a bizarre statement to make as an attorney who has a duty to advocate for your client. It's like having a client who's found guilty of assault and saying well, yes. And I just want to make sure that everyone knows this has nothing to deal with grand theft auto. I mean this is what -- Paul Manafort was not tried on any of those charges. So I think to the extent that it is so unrelated to what Paul Manafort was sentenced to, yes, I mean it can be seen as basically an open letter to the president. But again, for your -- for your viewers to remember, Paul Manafort could be pardoned for these federal crimes and still potentially face certain state crimes which he cannot be pardoned from.</s>VAUSE: Yes. Very quickly, we're almost out of time, but will this sentence you know, being incredibly lenient as it is, will have any impact on what the judge in Washington does next week?</s>LEVINSON: Well -- so I think we can answer this two ways. One is the judge in D.C. the judge in Washington is going to make an independent determination. The second is judges are humans. They know exactly what happens in the news. And to the extent that the D.C. judge is on the fence, I think that this could just bump up the sentence that Paul Manafort would see in this case. So again, it's important to remember. He still may be serving a very long sentence. And my guess is it does put some pressure on the D.C. judge to say maybe we should look at least being within the Sentencing Guidelines, not 75 percent under those guidelines as we saw today.</s>VAUSE: Yes. I think the recommendation for the Washington case is up to ten years. It could be served concurrently which would give him about 14 years in jail. Maybe. We'll see what happens. Jessica, thank you.</s>LEVINSON: Thank you, John.</s>VAUSE: It's a good week for lawyers. Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen is suing the Trump Organization for at least $3.8 million to cover legal fees and court imposed fines. Cohen said he incurred some of the expenses while still part of a joint defense agreement for Trump but a spokesman for the Trump Organization says Cohen is not owed a penny. The U.S. House passed a resolution broadly condemning hate and intolerance including anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim bias. The resolution was written specifically to condemn anti-Semitic remarks by Democrat Ilhan Omar but it was revised to include other forms of bigotry. Omar is one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress. She has been under fire even from fellow Democrats for her criticism, twice, of Israel. Eliminating the ISIS threat will take more than battlefield success. The once sprawling caliphate of Syria and Iraq is being reduced to just a sliver. Fighters have been surrendering by the hundreds but a senior U.S. general warns surrendering is not the same as giving up.</s>GEN. JOSEPH VOTEL, CENTCOM COMMANDER: Reduction --</s>VOTEL: -- of the physical caliphate is a monumental military accomplishment but the fight against ISIS and violent extremism is far from over. Recent observations by our men and women on the ground highlight that the ISIS population being evacuated from the reigning vestiges of the caliphate largely remain unrepentant, unbroken and radicalized.</s>VAUSE: Many of the ISIS fighters who surrounded in Eastern Syria still believe their ideology will prevail and they say it's only a matter of time. CNN's Ben Wedeman is there.</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In defeat, gone is the bravado, the cockiness. In defeat, the men of the so-called Islamic state bow their heads and cover their faces, a sharp contrast from the shrill triumphalism of ISIS's early days. "We couldn't fight anymore so we surrendered," Ahmed (ph), a Syrian, says. In the last few days, hundreds of ISIS fighters have surrendered to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic forces. Some have yet to give up. This video shot Wednesday of the group's last enclave shows men on foot and motorbike moving about in broad daylight. Vanquished ISIS may be yet Ahmud (ph), a Palestinian, refugee who grew up in Syria, hasn't given up. He concedes defeat today but not tomorrow. "Maybe the Americans rule the world today," he tells me. "But God almighty promised the Muslims that in the end, the world will be ruled by Islam." Their state is close to death, not their delusions. "Despite the war and all the problems imposed upon it, I think the Islamic state was a success," Felas (ph), an Iraqi, tells me. "No one gave it the chance to offer anything to the world." A state where men claim to rule in the name of God and women obeyed is on the brink of extinction. And the children and the women are paying the price. Caked in dust, dazed and confused, hungry and thirsty, scrambling onto trucks normally used to transport livestock, bound for camps to the north. In defeat, misery is their lot -- Ben Wedeman, CNN, Eastern Syria.</s>VAUSE: Saudi Arabia has been put on notice that the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has not been forgiven or forgotten. All of the European Union signed an open letter condemning Saudi Arabia's human rights record. The letter was read at a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council and demanded the kingdom disclose all information about Khashoggi's killing.</s>HARALD ASPELUND, ICELANDIC AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. IN GENEVA: The investigations into the killing must be independent and transparent. Those responsible must be held to account. We call upon Saudi Arabia to disclose all information available and to fully cooperate with all limited gages (ph) into the killing, including the human rights inquiry by the special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions.</s>VAUSE: The CIA has concluded Khashoggi's killing was carried out on the orders of the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de factor ruler of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi royal family denies any role in the journalist's death. Despite a failed nuclear summit and reports of renewed construction at a missile engine testing site, the Trump administration remains hopeful there will be a denuclearized North Korea by the end of next year. Meantime in North Korea, CNN's Will Ripley reports those failed talks are being reported as a success.</s>WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Growing questions about North Korea's nuclear and missile program in the wake of last week's failed summit in Vietnam. A South Korean lawmaker tells CNN, spy agency NIS, is tracking the increase movement of transport vehicles around a North Korean missile site. Work is under way to rebuild a launch pad and missile engine test stand at the Sohae satellite launch facility and what sources say may have derailed talks in Hanoi. A secret uranium enrichment plant just outside Pyongyang.</s>JAMES CLAPPER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So, it is not surprising to me that we see evidence of them continuing with their nuclear and or missile program. That is -- that is the way they generate leverage.</s>RIPLEY: Analysts say, the North Koreans maybe looking for leverage. After President Trump walked out of his Hanoi summit with Chairman Kim Jong-un, something regular North Koreans will never even know. They'll never see this empty table from a working lunch called off. Never hear these words from President Trump on not reaching a deal.</s>TRUMP: Sometimes you have to walk.</s>RIPLEY: Instead, regular --</s>RIPLEY: -- North Koreans see this, a carefully edited state TV documentary from comrade Kim's triumphant rival on a bulletproof train to huge crowds lining the streets for a glimpse of his motorcade. Even the moment President Trump called a friendly walk, as far as most North Koreans know, it was. But sources tell CNN, Kim's team made a last ditch attempt to strike a deal with the U.S. Offering to dismantle their entire Yongbyon nuclear complex in exchange for partial lifting of sanctions just before Trump walkout. North Korea's vice foreign minister, Choe Son-hui, later issued this sharp warning. That the U.S. missed a once in a thousand year opportunity and her chairman may have lost the will to negotiate. A message sources say came directly from Kim himself. But you've never know any of it watching North Korean TV, despite the summits abrupt and humiliating end. And even as the Trump administration warns of more sanctions, if North Korea fails to denuclearize, they are also leaving the door open for a third summit.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president is obviously open to talking again. We will see when that -- that might be scheduled or what -- how it would work out, but he thinks the deal is there, if North Korea is prepared to look at the big picture.</s>RIPLEY: A big picture the U.S. says must not include provocative or threatening behavior. Will Ripley, CNN, Beijing.</s>VAUSE: Well, still to come, Brexit anxiety spreading across the Channel with growing concerns the days of easy movements of goods, people and just about everything will soon come to an abrupt end. Also ahead, the first man landing on the moon as you have never seen it before after the discovery of thousands of hours of archival film and audio recordings.