Last Updated Feb 23, 2018 1:00 PM EST
Former Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates is appearing for a plea hearing in federal court Friday afternoon, from charges stemming from the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Reduced charges of conspiracy against the United States and making false statements were filed in new court documents shortly before the hearing scheduled for 2 p.m. in federal court.
The expected plea comes just after Gates was charged with new crimes Thursday in Mueller’s probe. On Thursday, Mueller brought a new 32-count indictment against Gates and former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort. The latest charges stem from work Manafort and Gates executed in Ukraine. The latest indictment says that they failed to pay taxes on such Ukrainian income, by “disguising it as alleged ‘loans'” from offshore accounts. Those charges were filed in Virginia.
The 12-count indictment filed against Gates and Manafort in Washington, D.C., also entail their business scruples. Those charges include conspiracy to launder money and making false statements.
A guilty plea could could mean Gates is looking to cooperate with Mueller’s investigation. Mueller is examining Russian election meddling in 2016 and any ties to Trump associates. Last week, Mueller’s team brought charges against 13 Russians accused of intervening in the 2016 U.S. election through spreading misinformation on social media and traveling to the U.S to create chaos.
CBS News’ Paula Reid contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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