| In Trial of
Manafort Lender Calk Former TFSB Director
Rigby Says He Quit Due to Calk Loans
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
Podcast
II III
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
June 30 – After months of preliminaries,
the trial of Stephen Calk for
conspiracy to trade his bank's
loans to Paul Manafort for the
Secretary of the Army position
began on June 23. Inner City
Press live tweeted, here,
previous coverage here,
podcast here
Then the defense
opening statement and first
witness, here,
and Inner City Press question
to Calk on Scaramucci, here
(& Alamy photo here)
On June 29 came
the cross examination of
Anthony Scaramucci, which
Inner City Press live tweeted
here and below, (podast
here)
Song I here.
On June 30, there
was testimony from former TFSB
board member Randy Rigby, who
Calk's lawyer tried to block
testimony from previously. Now
it became clear why: Rigby
says he quit TFSB after seeing
Calk making loans for personal
benefits. Here's from of it,
live tweeted:
Calk's lawyer: Is
there anything in this
document by Mr. Raico about
Mr. Manafort's property being
in default?
US witness: I
don't know off-hand. Calk's
lawyer: And here it says Bank
of the Internet was the
preferred option, do you see
that? US witness: Yes.
Next US witness:
General (retired) Rigby, who
was a board member of Calk's
The Federal Savings Bank.
AUSA: Why did you
quit in 2017? General: Because
I saw loans made for personal
benefit. AUSA: How often did
the board meet? General:
Monthly.
Calk's lawyer: Go
to page 68 of this --
General Rigby:
Yes, it's --
Judge Schofield:
This document is not in
evidence. He's just showing it
to you privately.
Calk's
lawyer: Does this refresh your
recollection that you received
documents about the Manafort
loan?
General Rigby: I
don't recall that. Calk's
lawyer: But you don't deny it?
General Rigby: I
don't remember it. But I don't
deny. Judge Schofield: Let's
break for lunch.
Calk's lawyer:
The US should not communicate
with Gen. Rigby's lawyer.
From June 29:
Assistant US Attorney: What
did Mr. Calk ask you?
Scaramucci: If it
was Mattis' decision.
AUSA: What
did you tell Mr. Calk?
Scaramucci: That it might help
if he spoke with Mattis.
AUSA: Were you
being genuine? Scaramucci:
It's a hard communication over
text. I was being a little bit
passive-aggressive, or
sarcastic. AUSA: Did you think
Mr. Calk was qualified? Calk's
lawyer: Objection! Judge
Schofield: Sustained.
AUSA: How
did Mr. Calk's qualifications
compare to those of Vincent
Viola? Calk's lawyer:
Objection! Judge Schofield:
I'll allow it. Scaramucci: Mr.
Viola was more qualified. He
owned the Panthers, but had
been with the military more
AUSA: Where did
you tell Mr. Calk the Tiger
Team would meet him?
Scaramucci: In Trump Tower. He
replied, Good, I'll fly to New
York. It was January 9, 2017
at 3:42 UTC, I told Steve to
send his CV to Campbell.
AUSA: Did you
meet with Mr. Calk while he
was in New York for the Tiger
Team interview? Scaramucci:
No, I was speaking for The
Boss at an infrastructure
conference at the Metropolitan
Club. Then Mr. Calk asked me
about getting a second
interview.
AUSA: Did you
think he would get the job?
Scaramucci: No. AUSA: Why did
you forward his name?
Scaramucci:
I was doing a favor for Paul
Manafort. AUSA: No further
questions. Cross: Calk's
lawyer: Good morning.
Calk's lawyer:
You didn't charge Mr. Manafort
a fee, did you? AUSA:
Objection. Judge Schofield:
Overruled.
Scaramucci: I
didn't charge. Calk's lawyer:
You got him an interview for a
job you knew he's never get.
Scaramucci: My opinion.
Calk's lawyer: On
Thursday you were asked if you
had been told about Manafort
being a customer of The
Federal Savings Bank?
Scaramucci: I
remember. Calk's lawyer: But
you know that bank officials
are prohibited from naming
their customers? Gramm Leach
Bliley Act?
Calk's lawyer:
Let me ask, in August 2016 you
were added to Mr. Trump's
economic advisory committee?
Scaramucci: I
don't remember the exact date.
Calk's lawyer: Shall I show
you some media coverage?
Scaramucci: I see my name in
the document.
Calk's lawyer: Do
you remember that there was
ridicule of there being six
guys named Steve? Scaramucci:
I don't remember.
Calk's lawyer:
Might media coverage refresh
your recollection? Scaramucci:
Yeah, it might. Scaramucci: It
was a very busy time for me. I
don't think it was a big thing
at the time.
Calk's lawyer:
And that there were no women
in the first group?
Scaramucci: I don't remember
that.
Calk's
lawyer: Do you remember Mr.
Trump was behind in the polls?
Scaramucci: Internal polling
showed it closer. Calk's
lawyer: Was your standing with
Mr. Trump improved by your
skill on TV? AUSA: Objection.
Judge Schofield: I'll allow
it. Scaramucci: Yes.
Calk's
lawyer: You were friendly with
Mr. Mnuchin and his fiancee?
Scaramucci: Yes. Calk's
lawyer: Mr. Mnuchin and Mr.
Bannon were part of the nerve
center of the transition, and
you not?
Scaramucci: Yes.
I was not.
Calk's lawyer:
Was the Tiger Team set up by
Mr. Kushner to vet out the
Never Trump people?
Scaramucci: Generally. Because
of the volume of jobs it would
have been impossible to vet
them all out.
Calk's
lawyer: In November, Mr
Manafort did not mention Mr.
Calk to you? Scaramucci: He
did not.
Calk's lawyer:
Then Mr. Manafort asked you
for help on both Mr. Calk and
Vernon Parker? Scaramucci:
Correct.
Calk's lawyer:
Did you practice these
questions with the government?
Scaramucci: I've heard these
questions before, yes. Calk's
lawyer: You provided screen
shots of your text messages
with Mr. Manafort to the
government? Scaramucci: I did.
Calk's lawyer:
Were you close with Steve
Cortes? Scaramucci: We worked
together with CNBC. Everyone
has a different definition of
close. We did not socialize
with our wives.
Calk's lawyer:
Were you close with him or
not? Scaramucci: By my
definition, no.
Calk's lawyer:
Did you tell the government
you were close with Mr.
Cortes? Scaramucci: I don't
remember. Calk's lawyer:
Moving on, let me show you
Defense Exhibit 245 - Mr.
Cortes wrote that Mr Calk was
one of his Chicago friends, a
good guy.
Calk's lawyer:
Now to Defense Exhibit 249, an
email: Hey Anthony, I thought
I'd give you a link to my work
for the president, a coverage
book - did you look at it?
Scaramucci: I did not.
Calk's
lawyer: Vinny Viola was a
friend of yours, right?
Scaramucci: He is. Calk's
lawyer: So you told Steve
Bannon that Mr. Viola wanted
the job? Scaramucci: Among
other people. Calk's lawyer:
Did you charge a fee?
Scaramucci: No. I didn't
charge anyone.
Calk's
lawyer: Mr. Trump ran as an
outsider, and appointed many
people without prior
government experience?
Scaramucci:
Actually, most in the Cabinet
had experience. Calk's lawyer:
But not Mr. Mnuchin.
Scaramucci: That's true of
most Secretaries of the
Treasury.
Calk's
lawyer: And what about Wilbur
Ross, the King of
Bankruptcies? And Ben Carson,
a retired brain surgeon? And
Rex Tillerson, of Exxon? And
you? Scaramucci: I had been at
the Ex-Im Bank. Calk's lawyer:
But you never served in the
military. Scaramucci: I did
not.
Calk's lawyer:
Skybridge had 40 employees -
did you know how many
employees Mr. Calk had?
Scaramucci: I do not.
Calk's
lawyer: You were a consultant
to Fox News? Scaramucci: I
hosted Wall Street Week for
Fox Business. Calk's lawyer:
And you were good at it?
Scaramucci: If
you say so.
Calk's lawyer: No
further questions. AUSA: Shall
we take our morning break?
Judge Schofield:
It depends how much redirect
you have. AUSA: A decent
amount. Judge Schofield: Let's
take out morning break. Thread
will continue
During the
break, Calk was engaged in
animated discussion with his
team. Scaramucci came back
into the courtroom after, or
at the same time as, the
juror. So he had to wait to
get back into the witness box.
But he's back in.
AUSA: How many
times did Mr. Calk follow up
with you about an interview
with the Tiger Team?
Scaramucci: 8 or 9 times.
AUSA: Why did you
contact Mr. Calk after Steve
Cortes contacted you?
Scaramucci: I had a list of
favors I was working down-
Cortes was a reminder
AUSA: And this
photo of Mr. Calk with Mr.
Trump, what did it mean?
Calk's lawyer: Objection!
Judge Schofield: I'll allow
it. Scaramucci: Not much, it
reflected proximity on the
day, not actual closeness.
AUSA: Is it legal
for you to make loans who
gives you a personal benefit?
Scaramucci: You are under a
fiduciary duty to look at
loans objectively. Calk's
lawyer: Objection, move to
strike, no foundation. Judge
Schofield: I'll allow it.
AUSA: No further questions.
Calk's lawyer: Two questions.
Judge Schofield:
Ordinarily not. But OK.
Calk's lawyer:
How many times have you met
with the government?
Scaramucci: Four times.
Calk's lawyer: No
further questions.
Judge Schofield:
You are excused
The case is US v. Calk, 19-cr-366
(Schofield)
***
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