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| Rick Gates, Ex-Trump Aide and Key Witness for Mueller, Is Sentenced to 45 Days in Jail | Rick Gates, Ex-Trump Aide and Key Witness for Mueller, Is Sentenced to 45 Days in Jail |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Rick Gates, the former Trump campaign aide who helped bring down two former advisers to President Trump, was sentenced on Tuesday to 45 days in jail and a $20,000 fine for his part in a criminal financial scheme and for lying to federal investigators. | WASHINGTON — Rick Gates, the former Trump campaign aide who helped bring down two former advisers to President Trump, was sentenced on Tuesday to 45 days in jail and a $20,000 fine for his part in a criminal financial scheme and for lying to federal investigators. |
| Despite his extraordinary cooperation with the government, Mr. Gates’s crimes were simply too serious to grant his request for probation, said Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She said he can serve his time behind bars intermittently, including on weekends, during a three-year term of probation. | Despite his extraordinary cooperation with the government, Mr. Gates’s crimes were simply too serious to grant his request for probation, said Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She said he can serve his time behind bars intermittently, including on weekends, during a three-year term of probation. |
| The judge, who has overseen the bulk of criminal cases that arose from the special counsel’s investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, said that she struggled with her decision because Mr. Gates had done much to merit leniency. | The judge, who has overseen the bulk of criminal cases that arose from the special counsel’s investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, said that she struggled with her decision because Mr. Gates had done much to merit leniency. |
| He provided evidence against powerful people, including Mr. Trump’s onetime campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and Roger J. Stone Jr., Mr. Trump’s longtime friend and former campaign adviser. Mr. Gates withstood pressure from Mr. Manafort not to cooperate with prosecutors, including offers of financial assistance. He also endured what Judge Jackson called “humiliating” cross-examination during three separate criminal trials. | He provided evidence against powerful people, including Mr. Trump’s onetime campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and Roger J. Stone Jr., Mr. Trump’s longtime friend and former campaign adviser. Mr. Gates withstood pressure from Mr. Manafort not to cooperate with prosecutors, including offers of financial assistance. He also endured what Judge Jackson called “humiliating” cross-examination during three separate criminal trials. |
| “He has been at the prosecutors’ beck and call since February 2018,” when he pleaded guilty, the judge said, convincing her that he sincerely wanted to make amends for his crimes. | “He has been at the prosecutors’ beck and call since February 2018,” when he pleaded guilty, the judge said, convincing her that he sincerely wanted to make amends for his crimes. |
| “This was not a quick foray or dip your toe into redemption,” she said. “One can believe in the transformation.” | “This was not a quick foray or dip your toe into redemption,” she said. “One can believe in the transformation.” |
| But, the judge said, Mr. Gates’s criminal activity was not an isolated instance. Instead, it spanned an entire decade during which Mr. Manafort and Mr. Gates each reaped fortunes as consultants to an increasingly corrupt and authoritarian Ukrainian politician and the oligarchs who backed him. | But, the judge said, Mr. Gates’s criminal activity was not an isolated instance. Instead, it spanned an entire decade during which Mr. Manafort and Mr. Gates each reaped fortunes as consultants to an increasingly corrupt and authoritarian Ukrainian politician and the oligarchs who backed him. |
| Judge Jackson acknowledged that the financial scheme Mr. Gates helped execute mainly enriched Mr. Manafort, who is now serving a prison term of more than seven years for crimes that included tax fraud, bank fraud and witness tampering. The sentence was imposed by Judge Jackson and a federal judge in Virginia who presided over Mr. Manafort’s two criminal prosecutions. | Judge Jackson acknowledged that the financial scheme Mr. Gates helped execute mainly enriched Mr. Manafort, who is now serving a prison term of more than seven years for crimes that included tax fraud, bank fraud and witness tampering. The sentence was imposed by Judge Jackson and a federal judge in Virginia who presided over Mr. Manafort’s two criminal prosecutions. |
| But while Mr. Manafort benefited the most, the judge said, Mr. Gates also gave into “plain old-fashioned greed,” eager to “get his own piece of the opulent lifestyle.” | But while Mr. Manafort benefited the most, the judge said, Mr. Gates also gave into “plain old-fashioned greed,” eager to “get his own piece of the opulent lifestyle.” |
| “He eventually joined Manafort in living as if the rules did not apply to him,” she said, laundering roughly $3 million through overseas bank accounts in order to avoid taxes. | “He eventually joined Manafort in living as if the rules did not apply to him,” she said, laundering roughly $3 million through overseas bank accounts in order to avoid taxes. |
| Mr. Manafort, who is imprisoned in Pennsylvania, has been in a hospital since Thursday, his lawyer Todd Blanche said separately on Tuesday, and is in stable condition. He said that Mr. Manafort’s family lacked a complete understanding of what sent him to the hospital despite repeated attempts to seek information from the federal Bureau of Prisons. ABC News first reported his hospitalization. | |
| In a half-hour oration at Mr. Gates’s sentencing, Judge Jackson stressed the importance of the deception that Mr. Gates and Mr. Manafort perpetrated on the American public by failing to register as foreign agents for the former president of Ukraine, who fled to Russia in 2014 after he was forced out of power in popular uprising. | |
| She said that Americans were illegally kept in the dark about who was behind a lobbying campaign in the United States to polish the image of a corrupt and authoritarian leader. | She said that Americans were illegally kept in the dark about who was behind a lobbying campaign in the United States to polish the image of a corrupt and authoritarian leader. |
| “When people don’t have the facts, democracy doesn’t work,” she said. She added: “Politics doesn’t corrupt people. People corrupt politics.” | “When people don’t have the facts, democracy doesn’t work,” she said. She added: “Politics doesn’t corrupt people. People corrupt politics.” |
| Judge Jackson went out of her way to defend the special counsel’s investigation, which she said dealt with “matters of grave and international importance.” | Judge Jackson went out of her way to defend the special counsel’s investigation, which she said dealt with “matters of grave and international importance.” |
| “Gates’s information, alone, warranted — indeed, demanded — further investigation,” the judge said. | “Gates’s information, alone, warranted — indeed, demanded — further investigation,” the judge said. |
| She noted that Mr. Gates revealed that Mr. Manafort had transferred confidential campaign polling data to a suspected Russian intelligence agent so he could share it with Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs. | She noted that Mr. Gates revealed that Mr. Manafort had transferred confidential campaign polling data to a suspected Russian intelligence agent so he could share it with Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs. |
| Mr. Gates also shed light on Mr. Stone’s efforts on behalf of the Trump campaign to connect with WikiLeaks in months before the election, Judge Jackson said. WikiLeaks was Russia’s chosen depository for tens of thousands of emails stolen by its operatives in an attempt to damage the campaign of Hillary Clinton, Mr. Trump’s 2016 Democratic opponent. | Mr. Gates also shed light on Mr. Stone’s efforts on behalf of the Trump campaign to connect with WikiLeaks in months before the election, Judge Jackson said. WikiLeaks was Russia’s chosen depository for tens of thousands of emails stolen by its operatives in an attempt to damage the campaign of Hillary Clinton, Mr. Trump’s 2016 Democratic opponent. |
| Mr. Gates, who was also sentenced to 300 hours of community service, had fervently hoped to be spared a prison term. “I greatly regret the mistakes I have made, and I have worked hard to honor my commitment to make amends,” he told the judge. He listened grim-faced as she pronounced his sentence. | Mr. Gates, who was also sentenced to 300 hours of community service, had fervently hoped to be spared a prison term. “I greatly regret the mistakes I have made, and I have worked hard to honor my commitment to make amends,” he told the judge. He listened grim-faced as she pronounced his sentence. |
| Advisory sentencing guidelines suggested a sentence of 46 to 57 months in prison. But Judge Jackson said that sentence was artificially inflated by the amount of money involved in the scheme led by Mr. Manafort. | Advisory sentencing guidelines suggested a sentence of 46 to 57 months in prison. But Judge Jackson said that sentence was artificially inflated by the amount of money involved in the scheme led by Mr. Manafort. |
| Although they recommended no specific sentence, the prosecutors did not oppose probation for Mr. Gates. “He wholeheartedly held up his end of the bargain,” Molly Gaston, an assistant United States attorney, told the judge. | Although they recommended no specific sentence, the prosecutors did not oppose probation for Mr. Gates. “He wholeheartedly held up his end of the bargain,” Molly Gaston, an assistant United States attorney, told the judge. |
| She described his decision to cooperate just a few months after he was indicted as “a turning point” for the Mueller investigation. In an apparent show of appreciation, several former prosecutors on Mr. Mueller’s team showed up in the courtroom, including Andrew Weissmann, Greg D. Andres and Brandon L. Van Grack. | She described his decision to cooperate just a few months after he was indicted as “a turning point” for the Mueller investigation. In an apparent show of appreciation, several former prosecutors on Mr. Mueller’s team showed up in the courtroom, including Andrew Weissmann, Greg D. Andres and Brandon L. Van Grack. |
| They were joined by about a half-dozen F.B.I. agents. Mr. Weissmann shook hands with Mr. Gates before the hearing began. | They were joined by about a half-dozen F.B.I. agents. Mr. Weissmann shook hands with Mr. Gates before the hearing began. |
| Thomas C. Green, Mr. Gates’s lawyer, called his client’s cooperation over nearly two years “an amazing effort at redemption.” He also stressed that Mr. Gates’s wife was facing a serious illness and he was the primary caregiver for their four children. | Thomas C. Green, Mr. Gates’s lawyer, called his client’s cooperation over nearly two years “an amazing effort at redemption.” He also stressed that Mr. Gates’s wife was facing a serious illness and he was the primary caregiver for their four children. |
| The judge noted that she had observed Mr. Gates testify against Mr. Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress and other offenses and is awaiting sentencing by Judge Jackson. Mr. Gates also testified against Gregory B. Craig, a Washington lawyer who was acquitted of a lobbying-related charge in a trial that Judge Jackson presided over. | The judge noted that she had observed Mr. Gates testify against Mr. Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress and other offenses and is awaiting sentencing by Judge Jackson. Mr. Gates also testified against Gregory B. Craig, a Washington lawyer who was acquitted of a lobbying-related charge in a trial that Judge Jackson presided over. |
| “He came across to me as extremely candid,” the judge said. She said Mr. Gates seemed to stick to the facts and did not embroider his testimony in hopes of a lighter sentence. “He didn’t come across as some kind of prosecution puppet,” she said. | “He came across to me as extremely candid,” the judge said. She said Mr. Gates seemed to stick to the facts and did not embroider his testimony in hopes of a lighter sentence. “He didn’t come across as some kind of prosecution puppet,” she said. |
| Mr. Gates met with F.B.I. agents and prosecutors roughly 50 times and provided information that was used in more than a dozen search warrants. His lawyer said he participated in more than 500 hours of interviews. Judge Jackson said he had flown all over the country to help investigators with inquiries, at least some of which remain secret. One inquiry centered on the Trump inaugural committee, which Mr. Gates helped manage. | Mr. Gates met with F.B.I. agents and prosecutors roughly 50 times and provided information that was used in more than a dozen search warrants. His lawyer said he participated in more than 500 hours of interviews. Judge Jackson said he had flown all over the country to help investigators with inquiries, at least some of which remain secret. One inquiry centered on the Trump inaugural committee, which Mr. Gates helped manage. |
| But while that level of cooperation is quite rare, Judge Jackson said, she simply could not “shake” her belief that probation was too lenient a punishment for crimes as serious as Mr. Gates’s. | But while that level of cooperation is quite rare, Judge Jackson said, she simply could not “shake” her belief that probation was too lenient a punishment for crimes as serious as Mr. Gates’s. |
| Eileen Sullivan contributed reporting. |