Tag: Rick Gates

3 Takeaways from Day 6 of the Manafort Trial

The following article by Griffin Connolly was posted on the Roll Call website August 7, 2018:

Credibility of longtime deputy could be critical to prosecution

Day Six of the Paul Manafort trial is in the books.

It’s a day that featured testimony from just one witness, Rick Gates, Manafort’s longtime deputy, who finished his direct questioning from prosecutors and underwent a grueling cross-examination from lead defense attorney Kevin Downing.

Gates pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy against the United States and one count of lying to an FBI agent in exchange for testifying against his former boss.

View the complete article here.

Paul Manafort trial Day 6: Gates admits affair, says he used Manafort’s money for trysts

The following article by Justin Jouvenal, Rachel Weiner, Matt Zapotosky and Rosalind Helderman was posted on the Washington Post website August 7, 2018:

Before he joined the Trump campaign, Paul Manafort made a name for himself in the D.C. lobbying world, but his past caught up with him. (Dalton Bennett , Jon Gerberg, Jesse Mesner-Hage/The Washington Post)

Paul Manafort, President Trump’s onetime campaign chairman, is on trial in federal court in Alexandria on bank and tax fraud charges. Prosecutors allege that he failed to pay taxes on millions he made from his work for a Russia-friendly Ukrainian political party, then lied to get loans when the cash stopped coming in.

The case is being prosecuted by the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Here’s what you need to know about Day 6 of this trial:

  • Manafort’s longtime business partner Rick Gates took the stand for a second day.
  • He admitted to having an extra-marital affair in London and to embezzling from Manafort.
  • Gates testified about how he and Manafort set up offshore accounts in Cyprus to transfer money to the U.S.

View the complete post here.

3 Takeaways From Day 5 of the Manafort Trial

The following article by Griffin Connolly was posted on the Roll Call website August 6 2018:

Manafort’s former deputy, Rick Gates, takes the stand

Rick Gates, here in November 2017. Credit: Bill Clark, CQ Roll Call file photo

The second week of the tax evasion and bank fraud trial of Paul Manafort kicked off Monday.

The day featured the defense’s cross-examination of Cindy Laporta, the onetime Trump campaign chairman’s former accountant and tax preparer; testimony from a Treasury Department employee who researched whether Manafort had filed reports of foreign bank and financial accounts, or FBARs; and Manafort’s former deputy, Rick Gates.

The high-powered political consultant is facing 18 counts and a maximum 305-year prison sentence if the Eastern Virginia jury finds him guilty.

Rick Gates says he lied for years at Manafort’s request and stole from him in the process

The following article by Rachel Weiner, Matt Zapotosky, Ann E. Marimow and Devlin Barrett was posted on the Washington Post website August 6, 2018:

Rick Gates testified Aug. 6 that he stole money from former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and committed an array of crimes with his former boss. (Reuters)

ick Gates — the star witness against President Trump’s former campaign chairman — admitted in federal court Monday that he committed a host of crimes with his former boss, and confessed to stealing from him and others.

In his first hour on the witness stand, Gates catalogued years of illegal activity, saying most of his wrongdoing was committed on behalf of his former boss, Paul Manafort, while other crimes were for his own benefit, including the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Gates also made clear that he was testifying against Manafort with the hope of receiving a lesser prison sentence, having pleaded guilty in February as part of a deal with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

Manafort’s trial in Alexandria, Va., is the first to arise out of the Mueller probe and marks a major public test of that investigation’s credibility. Mueller’s team is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether any Trump associates conspired with those efforts.

View the complete article here.

Why Manafort matters

The following article by Judd Legum was posted on the Popular.info website August 8, 2018:

This week, the man who was in charge of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, Paul Manafort, is on trial in Virginia for bank fraud and filing false tax returns, among other charges. Next month in DC, Manafort will face trial for more charges, including conspiracy against the United States.

The official line from Donald Trump and the White House is that this trial has nothing to do with them or Robert Mueller’s investigation into the potential conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn’t government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion – a Hoax!

August 1, 2018

It’s true that the conduct being directly prosecuted does not encompass Manafort’s official work as campaign manager. But the idea that the conduct is “old” and unconnected to the Trump campaign is false.

View the complete article here.

Want to Know More About … the Manafort Trial

Jonathan Karl: “In A Dramatic Moment, David, Gates Told The Court, ‘I’m Here To Tell The Truth, I’m Here To Take Responsibility.’, And Then, He Added That Paul Manafort Had The Same Opportunity, The Implication Is Of Course, That He Did Not Take It.”

[World News Tonight, ABC, 8/7/18; VIDEO]

David Wright: “It Was A Grueling Day On The Stand For Rick Gates. He Is The Government’s Star Witness In This Case But The Defense Did Its Best To Pummel His Credibility.”

[Good Morning America, ABC, 8/8/18; VIDEO]

5 Things You Should Know From the Paul Manafort Trial, Day 2

The following article by Griffin Connolly was posted on the Roll Call website August 1, 2018:

President swings at a straw man and prosecutors mull shelving ‘star witness’ Rick Gates

Pres. Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, is on trial, facing 18 counts involving tax evasion and bank loan fraud. Credit: Sarah Silbiger, CQ Roll Call file photo

Day Two of the tax evasion and bank fraud trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manifort is in the books.

The day featured testimony from five witnesses — including Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign chief — and dozens of pages of evidence on Manafort’s lavish lifestyle.

The high-powered political consultant is facing 18 counts and a maximum 305-year prison sentence if the Eastern Virginia jury finds him guilty.

View the complete article here.

5 Things You Should Know From the Paul Manafort Trial, Day 2

The following article by Griffin Connolly was posted on the Roll Call website August 1, 2018:

President swings at a straw man and prosecutors mull shelving ‘star witness’ Rick Gates

Pres. Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, is on trial, facing 18 counts involving tax evasion and bank loan fraud. Credit: Sarah Silbiger, CQ Roll Call file photo

Day Two of the tax evasion and bank fraud trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manifort is in the books.

The day featured testimony from five witnesses — including Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign chief — and dozens of pages of evidence on Manafort’s lavish lifestyle.

The high-powered political consultant is facing 18 counts and a maximum 305-year prison sentence if the Eastern Virginia jury finds him guilty.

View the complete article here.

Mueller Is Seeking Immunity for 5 Mystery Witnesses Against Trump’s Ex-Campaign Chair

The following article by Cody Fenwick was posted on the AlterNet.org website July 17, 2018:

Paul Manafort’s former business associate Rick Gates has already agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Credit: FBI

Special counsel Robert Mueller filed court documents Tuesday requesting immunity for five potential witnesses in the case against President Donald Trump’s former campaign chair Paul Manafort.

The immunity would allow witnesses to testify with the assurance that they cannot be prosecuted for self-incriminating admissions they may make.

“The motions indicate that the named individuals will not testify or provide other information on the basis of their privilege against self-incrimination, and that the government is requesting that the Court compel them to testify at the upcoming trial,” the request says.

View the complete article on the AlterNet.org website here.

Manafort associate had Russian intelligence ties during 2016 campaign, prosecutors say

The following article by Spencer S. Hsu and Rosalind S. Helderman was posted on the Washington Post website March 28, 2018:

The FBI has found that a business associate of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had ongoing ties to Russian intelligence, including during the 2016 presidential campaign when Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, were in touch with the associate, according to new court filings.

The documents, filed late Tuesday by prosecutors for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, also allege that Gates has said he knew the associate was a former officer with the Russian military intelligence service. Continue reading “Manafort associate had Russian intelligence ties during 2016 campaign, prosecutors say”