Manafort was removed from a plane because his passport had been revoked.
Any info/ideas on why his passport was revoked? If someone’s passport is revoked, wouldn’t they be informed?
My understanding is that there are all kinds of complicated reasons that a passport can be refused or revoked, mostly related to serious criminal charges or convictions. However, as Manafort was pardoned, the criminal consequences should have been reversed. Perhaps it was because the Senate Intelligence Committee deemed Manafort a grave counterintelligence threat.
Dubai, huh? With some of the only major airports still flying to Russia.
What’s the process by which a passport is revoked?
My assumption is that the State Department has some internal procedures for determining if a passport should be revoked, and that the holder of the passport may not be aware that revocation is being considered. But that’s purely a guess. Is there any requirement that they inform the passport holder of the review before making their decision? Does the passport holder have any right of appeal? For that matter, what triggers the process of determining whether or not to revoke a passport?
Another guess of mine is that State informs the person the passport has been revoked. But if that’s the case, why did Manafort get on that plane? Wouldn’t he have known that he couldn’t fly on a revoked passport?
OTOH, why was he able to even get on the plane? It’s been a long time since I’ve flown internationally, but I’m pretty sure they checked my passport before I even got to the gate.
Why? Paul Robeson was denied a passport despite never being convicted - or even charged - with any crime. Just an African-American with a controversial political opinion.
Or maybe Manafort just owes the IRS?
Pure speculation on my part, but if new criminal charges are eminent, the FBI would have the authority to revoke his passport to prevent him fleeing the jurisdiction. They also wouldn’t tell him until it was absolutely necessary.
Again, only speculation. But a possible scenario.
Start with 22 CFR § 51.60
(a) The Department may not issue a passport, except a passport for direct return to the United States, in any case in which the Department determines or is informed by competent authority that:
(1) The applicant is in default on a loan received from the United States under 22 U.S.C. 2671(b)(2)(B) for the repatriation of the applicant and, where applicable, the applicant’s spouse, minor child(ren), and/or other immediate family members, from a foreign country (see 22 U.S.C. 2671(d)); or
(2) The applicant has been certified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as notified by a state agency under 42 U.S.C. 652(k) to be in arrears of child support in an amount determined by statute.
(3) [Reserved]
(4) The applicant is a covered sex offender as defined in 22 U.S.C. 212b(c)(1), unless the passport, no matter the type, contains the conspicuous identifier placed by the Department as required by 22 U.S.C. 212b.
(b) The Department may refuse to issue a passport in any case in which the Department determines or is informed by competent authority that:
(1) The applicant is the subject of an outstanding Federal warrant of arrest for a felony, including a warrant issued under the Federal Fugitive Felon Act (18 U.S.C. 1073); or
(2) The applicant is subject to a criminal court order, condition of probation, or condition of parole, any of which forbids departure from the United States and the violation of which could result in the issuance of a Federal warrant of arrest, including a warrant issued under the Federal Fugitive Felon Act; or
(3) The applicant is subject to a U.S. court order committing him or her to a mental institution; or
(4) The applicant has been legally declared incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction in the United States; or
(5) The applicant is the subject of a request for extradition or provisional request for extradition which has been presented to the government of a foreign country; or
(6) The applicant is the subject of a subpoena received from the United States pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1783, in a matter involving Federal prosecution for, or grand jury investigation of, a felony; or
(7) The applicant is a minor and the passport may be denied under 22 CFR 51.28; or
(8) The applicant is subject to an order of restraint or apprehension issued by an appropriate officer of the United States Armed Forces pursuant to chapter 47 of title 10 of the United States Code; or
(9) The applicant is the subject of an outstanding state or local warrant of arrest for a felony; or
(10) The applicant is the subject of a request for extradition or provisional arrest submitted to the United States by a foreign country.
(c) The Department may refuse to issue a passport in any case in which:
(1) The applicant has not repaid a loan received from the United States under 22 U.S.C. 2670(j) for emergency medical attention, dietary supplements, and other emergency assistance, including, if applicable, assistance provided to his or her child(ren), spouse, and/or other immediate family members in a foreign country; or
(2) The applicant has not repaid a loan received from the United States under 22 U.S.C. 2671(b)(2)(B) or 22 U.S.C. 2671(b)(2)(A) for the repatriation or evacuation of the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s child(ren), spouse, and/or other immediate family members from a foreign country to the United States; or
(3) The applicant has previously been denied a passport under this section or 22 CFR 51.61, or the Department has revoked the applicant’s passport or issued a limited passport for direct return to the United States under 22 CFR 51.62, and the applicant has not shown that there has been a change in circumstances since the denial, revocation or issuance of a limited passport that warrants issuance of a passport; or
(4) The Secretary determines that the applicant’s activities abroad are causing or are likely to cause serious damage to the national security or the foreign policy of the United States.
(d) The Department may refuse to issue a passport in a case in which the Department is informed by an appropriate foreign government authority or international organization that the applicant is the subject of a warrant of arrest for a felony.
(e) The Department may refuse to issue a passport, except a passport for direct return to the United States, in any case in which the Department determines or is informed by a competent authority that the applicant is a minor who has been abducted, wrongfully removed or retained in violation of a court order or decree and return to his or her home state or habitual residence is necessary to permit a court of competent jurisdiction to determine custody matters.
(f) The Department may refuse to issue a passport to an applicant who fails to provide his or her Social Security account number on his or her passport application or who willfully, intentionally, negligently, or recklessly includes an incorrect or invalid Social Security account number.
(g) The Department shall not issue a passport card to an applicant who is a covered sex offender as defined in 22 U.S.C. 212b(c)(1).
(h) The Department may not issue a passport, except a limited validity passport for direct return to the United States or in instances where the Department finds that emergency circumstances or humanitarian reasons exist, in any case in which:
(1) The Department is notified by the Attorney General that, during the covered period as defined by 22 U.S.C. 212a:
(i) The applicant was convicted of a violation of 18 U.S.C. 2423, and
(ii) The individual used a passport or passport card or otherwise crossed an international border in committing the underlying offense.
(2) The applicant is certified by the Secretary of the Treasury as having a seriously delinquent tax debt as described in 26 U.S.C. 7345.
(i) In appropriate circumstances, where an individual’s passport application is denied or passport revoked consistent with this part, the Department may issue a limited validity passport good only for direct return to the United States.
Section 51.61 covers denying passports to drug traffickers and 51.62 covers revokation.
I’m betting it’s the one that says
The Secretary has determined that the applicant’s activities abroad are causing or likely to cause serious damage to the national security and foreign policy of the US.
Manafort has been diligently working with Russia to help them subjugate Ukraine for decades. He was instrumental in rigging the Ukrainian election that put the Russian backed candidate Yanukovych into power, and jailing and persecuting his opponent afterwards. He had a huge tacky home in Ukraine with gold plated faucets and a 100 car garage. His former home is now a museum.
Most of the US attention on Manafort centers around his work with Trump, but that’s probably the least evil thing he’s ever done professionally - and there is credible speculation that he volunteered to work with Trump in order to pay off his debt to Russian oligarchs.
The Senate report on Russian interference, which is way longer and way more damning than the Mueller Report, includes the outlines of one Manafort effort, a very specific plot to carve out an Autonomous Republic of Donbas in Southeastern Ukraine, a plan that including getting Trump to wink and look the other way. This was going on while Trump was in office.
Details and more can be found here.
So, I’m not surprised they took his passport, and I’m REALLY not surprised that he was heading to Dubai, because apparently all the oligarchs are fleeing there to escape the consequences of the recent sanctions. And if his ultimate intent is to flee to Russia, it won’t be the first time, he fled Ukraine for Russia in 2014.
Great recap. Thanks for reminding us.
Out of interest, because I haven’t had time to read the Senate report on Russian interference yet, do you believe Manafort’s pardon covered all his illegal activities to date? Or do you think he committed crimes outside the pardon window? 'Coz that’s what I’m hoping for.
Manafort truly is a menace to our national security and has been for a long time. In a just world, he would be jailed for life.
Things that make you go “hmmmmmm.”
I really don’t know.
The really odious stuff that Manafort does isn’t necessarily illegal. He could’ve be doing consulting work for Russia on how to subjugate Ukraine and as long as he pays his taxes and fills out all the right forms. and avoids personally doing illegal things like bribing officials or passing out classified information, he’s not breaking the law. We aren’t in a declared war with Russia.
If he gets into trouble for those activities, it’ll be for something like not paying taxes or failing to register as a foreign agent, and I have no idea if he’s violated any of those laws. Given his history, and the fact that there are lots of prosecutors out there that are pissed off about his pardon, it would be stupid of him to break those laws. But old habits die hard, and scofflaws like Manafort just can’t help scoffing at the law.
I’m also not sure if his pardon is only for the crimes he was convicted for, or if it covers any uncharged crimes he may have committed prior to the pardon.
Once I heard Yanukovych’s name come into the news recently, with speculation that Putin wanted to install him as the head of a defeated Ukraine, I found it hard to imagine that Manafort wasn’t involved, given their history.
Now I’m wondering if the recent sanctions may be cause of his current troubles, and maybe ultimately be cause for arrest if he’s found to have been violating them, or hiding assets subject to sanction.
One can only hope.
My guess would be less that he is going to Dubai as a stop off to flee to Russia, than his thinking that Dubia is a good way to meet with a bunch of Oligarchs and get back on the gravy train by offering his services in their time of need.
As far as the passport goes, there may have been a general directive to hold the passports of anyone associated with Russian oligarchs and he got flagged.
I just realized I forgot to generate a non-paywalled link to the NYT article about the oligarchs and Dubai. Here it is.