Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates will take the stand at former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s bank and tax fraud trial in Alexandria, Virginia, Monday afternoon, Gates’ lawyer told Politico.
Gates is Manafort’s former right-hand man and will see Manafort for the first time “since he agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team in February,” reported Politico. Gates is “the prosecution’s key witness,” according to CNN.
Gates was an intern at Manafort’s “influential Washington lobbying firm” Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly and continued working with the lobbyist after Manafort left the firm. Gates and Manafort worked together lobbying for pro-Russian factions in Ukraine before joining President Donald Trump’s campaign, reported Politico.
One witness connected to Manafort has conceded wrongdoing. Cindy Laporta, Manafort’s accountant, received immunity from the government. (RELATED: Manafort Accountant Admits Possible Wrongdoing During Trial)
“I prepared the tax returns and communicated with banks based on information that Mr. Gates and Mr. Manafort provided to me that I didn’t believe,” Laporta said during the trial Friday.
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