It seems increasingly possible that Robert Mueller will bring RICO charges against Trump associates—for example, Paul Manafort.
RICO stands for Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act. It’s a federal law that was passed in 1970 to go after Mafia enterprises—and later, Mexican drug lords and others.
The Mafia ran prostitution, drugs, gambling, and union corruption schemes.
To launder their money— and evade taxes— they also operated great restaurants, real estate companies, and other legitimate businesses.
Business losses helped write-off income that would have been due for taxes.
RICO works like this: When a person commits “at least two acts of racketeering activity” drawn from a list of 35 crimes—27 federal crimes and 8 state crimes—within a 10-year period, they can be charged with racketeering if such acts are related to an “enterprise.”
Notice the lengthy statute of limitations and also Mueller’s keen interest in tax returns from several years ago.
Federal crimes that might apply to the Trump Enterprise would be computer crimes and tax evasion. Again, prosecutors need at least two federal crimes to make it a “racket.”
Rudy Giuliani made his fame convicting 11 Mafia leaders, including the heads of New York’s five dominant crime families, in February 1985. The case took down La Cosa Nostra—not by convicting one person (who was replaced)— but by dismantling entire chains of command.
Not only has RICO has been used against American enterprise but also those involving Russians, Mexicans, Japanese, and Israelis.
Along the way, prosecutors make suspects “an offer you can’t refuse” and acquire evidence by flipping key members of the enterprise.
When you look at Mueller’s legal team, they seem well-versed in RICO prosecutions.
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