In a new filing Tuesday, special counsel Robert Mueller argued that Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, the former Trump campaign aides indicted recently, are a flight risk given the serious nature of the charges, the wealth of the two men, and their extensive travel history.
“As explained below and at the initial appearance in this matter on October 30, 2017, the defendants pose a risk of flight based on the serious nature of the charges, their history of deceptive and misleading conduct, the potentially significant sentences the defendants face, the strong evidence of their guilt, their significant financial resources, and their foreign connections,” the court filing reads.
The document also reveals what federal investigators know about the assets held by Manafort and Gates. Manafort has given various estimates of his wealth between 2012 and 2017, between $19 million and $136 million, with the number fluctuating several times between 2016 and 2017. Most recently, Gates listed his personal liquid assets at $25 million in February 2016 and at $2.2 million in March 2016.
Mueller noted that both have traveled abroad extensively and revealed that Manafort currently has three U.S. passports with different numbers. Manafort has applied for a passport ten times in the last ten years, per the court filing.
Both Manafort and Gates pleaded not guilty on Monday to all 12 counts handed down in the indictment alleging a money-laundering scheme. Both have been placed in home confinement with bond set at $10 million for Manafort and $5 million for Gates.
Correction: This post originally referred to the bail filing as unsealed on Tuesday. Mueller filed it Tuesday, but it was never sealed.
Read the court filing:
