Last Updated Feb 23, 2018 3:33 PM EST
Former Trump campaign adviser Richard Gates III pleaded guilty on two counts — one, conspiring against the United States, and the other, making false statements to the special counsel’s office. Each carries a maximum sentence of five years if he’s convicted. Gates is cooperating with special counsel as part of this plea deal, Paula Reid reports. His plea offer states that his plea is contingent upon his cooperation and testimony.
Gates appeared for his plea hearing in federal court Friday afternoon, from charges stemming from the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The reduced charges of conspiracy against the United States and making false statements were filed in new court documents shortly before his hearing.
Manafort released a statement reiterating his claim of innocence, and expressing disappointment in Gates’ guilty plea.
‘”Notwithstanding that Rick Gates pled today, I continue to maintain my innocence,” Manafort wrote. “I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence. For reasons 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.”
The judge finally released Gates’ original attorneys from the case. Tom Green, who has been working on a plea deal for Gates, is now his official attorney, Paula Reid reports. Gates does not want to put his young family through a lengthy public trial. Also, the enormous cost of defending himself against these charges is a factor in his desire to bring this legal battle to a speedy conclusion.
It is expected that Gates will have to serve a term of several months in jail and face financial penalties, but those details will depend on the extent of his cooperation with Mueller’s team. He is currently facing dozens of years in prison if convicted on all counts.
The 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 entailed their business scruples. Those charges include conspiracy to launder money and making false statements.
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 and Clare Hymes contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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