Former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is currently facing trial for tax evasion, bank fraud and other related charges. He is accountable for 32 different charges and the internet wants him to be held responsible for one more of them. As an example of his lavish lifestyle, prosecutors showed the jury an ostrich skin jacket owned by him that costs USD 15,000. And social media users couldn't believe that the jacket cost so much.
People questioned why anyone would pay so much for that jacket that looks no good. Social media has ripped off the jacket so much that almost nothing is left. Jokes and memes related to the jokes have filled Twitter with most asking prosecutors to add the choice of this jacket as another crime against him.
This is Manafort's USD 15,000 ostrich jacket:
Behold. The $15,000 ostrich coat Manafort bought with an international wire transfer, according to a men’s clothier who testified today. Government exhibit pic.twitter.com/BjuQ39ZeJ0
— Kara Scannell (@KaraScannell) August 1, 2018
Here is the python jacket:
There's also a $9,500 ostrich vest from Alan Couture, from the invoices, but sadly no photo. Also an $18,500 python jacket, guessing it's this: pic.twitter.com/EsDZiUwBF7
— Rachel Weiner (@rachelweinerwp) August 2, 2018
And here is how social media reacted:
In a just world, an ostrich would be wearing a jacket made of Paul Manafort.
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) August 2, 2018
And cheaper too!
smh Paul Manafort could have gotten this ostrich jacket for the bargain price of $1,105 pic.twitter.com/aXxUqQKYRJ
— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) July 31, 2018
If you spent $15,000 on a jacket, you must minimum get this (at least the feathers)
Manafort in his ostrich jacket. pic.twitter.com/KxN1tOoCb6
— Hillary Warned Us (@HillaryWarnedUs) July 31, 2018
And that's Manafort's collection:
The Manafort jacket exhibit looks like a terrible Craigslist ad. pic.twitter.com/xTLJS18XI9
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) August 3, 2018
Manafort bought the ostrich jacket from a Manhattan tailor a few years ago. He has made purchases of nearly USD1 million worth from Alan Couture. The clothes include an ostrich vest and a jacket made out of python skin. Prosecutors argued that the purchases gave insight into Manafort's luxurious lifestyle.
A Washington Post report quoted prosecutors as saying that Manafort "had an expensive lifestyle that required lots of money to maintain is important proof as to why he would commit the bank frauds". They said that he grew so much accustomed to the lifestyle that when the money dried up "he resorted to bank fraud as a means to maintain his lifestyle."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 03, 2018 11:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).