Yet another key Donald Trump campaign adviser is negotiating a plea deal against him
Now we can add yet another name to the list of Donald Trump campaign advisers who are trying to hurry up and cut a deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller while they still can. Last month it was Michael Flynn who cut a formal plea deal. Last week it was Steve Bannon who agreed to become a cooperating witness. Earlier today it was revealed that Jeff Sessions, the sitting Attorney General, has already begun cooperating with Mueller. Now we can add yet another name to the list, and this time it’s on the money laundering side.
Back when Mueller arrested Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort, he also arrested Manafort’s sidekick Rick Gates. For months, the very wealthy Manafort and the apparently broke Gates have each been trying to mount a defense as they await trial. Mueller’s goal all along was to get Gates to flip on Manafort, which in turn would force Manafort to flip on Trump. Now that plan is working.
Rick Gates has made a major shift in his legal representation which signals that he’s negotiating a plea deal, according to a new CNN report (link). We don’t know if Gates, who worked for the Trump campaign, and who has an extensive financial relationship with the Kremlin, can incriminate Trump. But he can certainly take down his former boss Manafort. If Gates finalizes a plea deal, look for Manafort to quickly flip as well, as he’ll have no remaining chance of winning at trial. So where does this leave things?
Flynn, Sessions, and Bannon are all in position to help Robert Mueller take Donald Trump down for obstruction of justice and for conspiring with Russia politically to alter the outcome of the election. Paul Manafort and Rick Gates are in a different category, in that they can help Mueller take Trump down for Russian money laundering. So if Gates does indeed finalize a deal soon, Mueller will have multiple ripe angles for taking Trump down.
