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Was this alleged crime committed during the campaign? Or ten years prior to the campaign?
The loans allegedly were obtained during 2016 and 2017. According to Team Mueller, the loan officer approved the Manafort loans because he wanted a position with the Trump campaign/administration. The "crime" here is fraud on the loan applications.
And Mueller's positions on Manafort's three motions
in limine are essentially correct. That is not to say the effort was futile, it was not. Within Team Mueller's response the defense team can glean a lot of information as to the trial strategy.
For instance, collusion with Russia will not be in the case in chief. But the prosecution reserved the right to bring it up
if the defense opens the door by mentioning it themselves. Further, the proceedings and the corresponding alleged crimes pending in the DC case (scheduled to be tried in September) will be limited to the Gates plea agreement and the extent those crimes like the FARA violation directly relate to the bank fraud.
Those other "bad acts" can be prejudicial to the defendant unless there is a nexus to the actual crimes being considered by the jury. I would expect there to be multiple objections and conversations at the bench when this thing goes to trial.