Bear in mind that this guy pleaded guilty in a court case.
replyIn my mind that doesn't mean shit. Prosecution said, "if this goes to trial, we'll try to get life in prison. Or you could take our plea deal." That is why 90-some percent of prosecutions (EDIT: in the U. S.) go plea deal instead of trial.
I would imagine very rich people have extremely good lawyers though that can tell them very accurately if they will get off if it goes to trial.
replyThe best lawyers in the world won't be able to give you any guarantees about how a jury will feel.
replyWhen it comes to extremely rich people, "political prosecution" generally means that the behavior was absolutely criminal, but that it's usually something they let rich people get away with.
replyIt can also mean it's political. Famously (whether you think he's guilty or not) John Kiriakou pled guilty because he knew John Brennan was going to throw the entire might of the justice system at him. When he talks about the experience, his decisions are made with consideration to the fact the president's inner circle wanted him in jail and he wasn't fighting a fair battle.
replyI'm not sure how that's relevant, since John Kiriakou does not appear to be particularly wealthy.
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