Former Trump campaign aide plans guilty plea in Mueller probe

Rick Gates, a business associate of former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, plans to plead guilty as early as Friday to charges filed against him by special counsel Robert Mueller. Gates pleaded not guilty to the first round of charges Mueller filed against him last year, and his change in legal strategy has prompted speculation he might be cooperating with the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. On Thursday, Mueller filed additional charges against Manafort and Gates, significantly increasing the potential jail time each faced. In addition to the 12 counts filed against them in October over a multimillion-dollar money-laundering conspiracy tied to lobbying work for a Russia-friendly Ukrainian political party, the men now face allegations of tax evasion and bank fraud. None of the charges involve work they did for President Trump, a lack of connection the president touted as proof no one on his team colluded with the Russians. During 2016, Gates led the Trump campaign’s efforts to secure delegates right up to the Republican National Convention. He stayed with the campaign after Manafort’s ouster in August, working with Trump until after the election.