In the continuing coverage of the John McCain funeral, former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili appeared on CNN to discuss his relationship with McCain. (His interview preceded my own on CNN). Before discussing McCain, Saakashvili started talking about Patten and his work in Georgia and the Ukraine. Suddenly, Saakashvili pulled out his cellphone in the interview and purportedly read from a text from Patten that he described as unmistakable Russian-style blackmail. The text was allegedly sent very day and after Patten became a Mueller witness. Mueller just charged Manafort for reaching out to witnesses before his trial. Now, one of his cooperating witnesses is allegedly threatening a former world leader to delete prior comments or he will destroy him in what Saakashvili says is a signature move of Russian intelligence.

Saakashvili said that he had worked briefly with Patten but that he returned in 2011-12 “as part of a Russian operation” to spread “propaganda” and “dirty news.” He recalled Manafort being involved and said that they worked directly against the interests of the United States.One could certainly discounted those allegations from an opponent, but then he pulled out his cell phone. He read from a text to his former chief of staff, purportedly from Patten. He said that Patten threatened to “start releasing things about Misha” if he did not continue to talk about his work for the Russians and that the chief of staff had better “call him off” or he would effectively destroy him. Saakashvili said that Patten wanted prior comments “erased” and that “Misha knows what I am talking about.”