Third Cooperating Witness in Corruption-Collusion Investigation
Robert Mueller has reportedly flipped senior Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates, giving the special counsel yet another cooperating witness in the Trump-Russia probe.
“Gates is finalizing a plea deal,” CNN reports Thursday evening, “indicating he’s poised to cooperate in the investigation.”
A longtime associate of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, Gates “has already spoken to Mueller’s team about his case and has been in plea negotiations for about a month,” CNN notes.
“He’s had what criminal lawyers call a ‘Queen for a Day’ interview, in which a defendant answers any questions from the prosecutors’ team, including about his own case and other potential criminal activity he witnessed,” which could lead to a treasure trove of information about Donald Trump and his family.
CNN calls Gates’ cooperation “another building block for Mueller in a possible case against President Donald Trump or key members of his team.”
Gates, who did not leave the campaign when Manafort did, and actually stayed through the planning stages of the inauguration, will become the third cooperating witness in the Trump-Russia investigation.Â