Reports: Rick Gates To Plead Guilty In Deal With Mueller

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 07: Former Trump Aide Rick Gates attends a hearing on his fraud, conspiracy and money-laundering at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse on February 7, 2018 in Washington, DC. G... WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 07: Former Trump Aide Rick Gates attends a hearing on his fraud, conspiracy and money-laundering at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse on February 7, 2018 in Washington, DC. Gates, who is charged along with former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, was in court seeking to change his legal representation. (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Rick Gates is expected to come to a plea deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, two sources told the New York Times. Gates could enter a guilty plea as soon as Friday, the Times reported.

ABC News also reported Friday that Gates was poised to reach a deal with Mueller.

Gates, a former Trump campaign advisor, was hit with a second indictment from Mueller Thursday, after an initial round of charges were filed in October. He and his longtime business partner, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, have been charged with an assortment of financial crimes, including bank fraud, as well as with failure to disclose foreign lobbying related to work they did for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine. Both men pleaded not guilty when the charges were brought in October.

For weeks it had been rumored that Gates was in plea negotiations with Mueller, particularly after CNN reported he had quietly hired a new attorney, Tom Green, to help hammer out the deal. However, Gates’ effort to formally switch up his legal team has dragged on for nearly a month, after a motion from his original team of lawyers to withdraw from representing him prompted a mysterious back-and-forth in sealed court filings and in private hearings.  Only Thursday did a judge approve of the original attorneys’ move to withdraw, after Green formally entered the case on its public docket and filed for Gates a motion saying he did not oppose them withdrawing. Adding to the confusion was that the Daily Beast reported just before the filings that Gates had fired Green.

According to ABC News, Gates for weeks has been indecisive as to whether he was willing to plead guilty, and even this week it was not clear whether he would come to an agreement with Mueller.

The network obtained a letter Gates wrote to family and close friends explaining his decision, in which he said “despite my initial desire to vigorously defend myself, I have had a change of heart.”

“The reality of how long this legal process will likely take, the cost, and the circus-like atmosphere of an anticipated trial are too much. I will better serve my family moving forward by exiting this process,” Gates’ letter continued, according to ABC News. Gates is the father of young children.

“The consequence is the public humiliation, which at this moment seems like a small price to pay for what our children would have to endure otherwise,” Gates’ letter said, according to ABC News.

Latest Muckraker

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for jtx jtx says:

    Apparently Gates disagrees with Manafort

  2. Avatar for paulw paulw says:

    Maybe Gates can help explain why manafort agreed to work for free.

  3. Like deja vu’ all over again

  4. Nothing like a second helping of twenty-three indictments to help bring a little clarity.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

57 more replies

Participants

Avatar for valgalky23 Avatar for cmbudinger Avatar for philrm Avatar for marby Avatar for robb_ludwig Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for matthew1961 Avatar for smiley Avatar for carlorcas Avatar for slagathor Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for boidster Avatar for maxaroo Avatar for mrbadcrumble Avatar for ernestscribbler Avatar for tsp Avatar for jtx Avatar for khyber900 Avatar for maximus Avatar for edys Avatar for dcd Avatar for karlwlewis Avatar for evave2

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: