Former top Donald Trump campaign official Rick Gates’s guilty plea deal may save him from jail, and could mean prosecutors have placed the bulk of blame for criminal conduct on Paul Manafort, experts say.
While former Trump campaign chairman Manafort continues to maintain his innocence on all charges, Gates admitted to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators on Friday.
The plea agreement means 45-year-old Gates will be spared – at least for now – of other more serious offenses the government has accused him of committing such as money laundering and bank fraud.
Former top Trump aide Rick Gates cut a deal with investigators on Friday, pleading guilty to conspiracy against the U.S. and lying to investigators
Criminal defense lawyer Robert Bennett called the deal ‘very favorable’, adding it puts Manafort, Gates’ co-defendant, in a ‘very difficult position’
Criminal defense lawyer Robert Bennett called the deal ‘very favorable’ in an interview with ABC, adding it puts Manafort, Gates’ co-defendant, in a ‘very difficult position’.
The guilty plea signals Gates is ready to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation – which could in turn put more pressure on his longtime associate Manafort.
The conspiracy charge states that Gates ‘knowingly and intentionally conspired to defraud the United States by impeding, impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful governmental functions of [the Departments of Justice and Treasury] and to commit offenses against the United States.’
The lying charge says Gates ‘falsely stated and represented to the Special Counsel’s Office,’ including the FBI, that the March 2013 meeting didn’t involve Ukraine.
Gate’s plea agreement repeatedly mentions his actions coming ‘at Manafort’s instruction’ and says he ‘helped Manafort’ move his funds so he could evade U.S. taxes.
Gates’s guilty plea deal, which may save him from jail, could mean prosecutors have placed the bulk of blame for criminal conduct on Paul Manafort (pictured), experts say
Former Trump campaign chairman Manafort continues to maintain his innocence
It says ‘Gates, with Manafort’s knowledge and agreement, repeatedly misled Manafort’s accountants,’ and that ‘Gates, acting at Manafort’s instructions, did not report the accounts’ existence to Manafort’s tax accountants.’
In the plea agreement, prosecutors made sure to reference a special provision in sentencing guidelines that offers probation for those who choose to cooperate with investigators.
‘A defendant who has provided substantial assistance in the investigation or prosecution of another person who has committed an offense may be sentenced to a term of supervised release that is less than any minimum required by statute or the guidelines,’ the provision states.
Gate’s plea agreement also says if the former aide fully cooperates he will ‘then be free to argue for any sentence below the advisory sentencing guideline range’.
Prosecutors even specified in the plea agreement that they ‘may not oppose the defendant’s application’ for a lesser sentence if his help proves valuable.
However, if Gates is found to be uncooperative, the government could charge him with the other crimes again, and, as agreed to in the plea deal, he will have no opportunity to appeal.
Gates is now the third Trump associate known to be working with Mueller’s investigation
But as former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said on ABC’s ‘This Week’ on Sunday, it’s likely Mueller’s team heard the information Gates had to give before offering him a plea deal.
Gates is now the third Trump associate known to be working with Mueller’s investigation -Former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos are also cooperating with authorities.
Manafort, on his part, maintained his innocence in a statement soon after Gates entered his plea.
‘Notwithstanding that Rick Gates pled today, I continue to maintain my innocence. I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue to battle to prove our innocence,’ Manafort said in a statement.
‘For reasons not yet to surface he chose to do otherwise. This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled up charges contained in the indictments against me.’
Gates and Manafort were both indicted last October for money laundering, failing to properly register as foreign agents, and lying to federal officials about lobbying and other activities.
Prosecutors added more charges last week including conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal and false statements.