Rick Gates is the former partner of ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Manafort has been brought to trial on a number of financial crimes and foreign entanglements. Gates even admits to stealing from Manafort while they were partners. Now, to save his own butt, he is admitting to crimes and saying that Manafort was a party to it all. How can his testimony be trusted if he has admitted to cheating his partner?
As Written and Reported By Alex Pappas and Peter Doocy for Fox News:
Rick Gates on Monday took the stand in the federal fraud case against his former business partner, ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, testifying that he and Manafort conspired to commit bank and tax fraud — and that he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort.
The day ended with the judge in the case ripping into prosecutors, telling them to expedite their case. But earlier, federal prosecutor Greg Andres got the government’s star witness to admit he committed crimes while working for Manafort.
“Did you commit crimes with Mr. Manafort?” Andres asked Gates after he took the stand.
“Yes,” Gates said.
Manafort, facing charges of bank and tax fraud related to his work in Ukraine, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Gates struck a plea deal with prosecutors to cooperate in the case against his former business partner. The usually bearded Gates appeared in court clean-shaven on Monday.
During his testimony, Gates read out loud the language from his indictment charging him with conspiracy and making false statements to the government.
“Who did you conspire with?” the prosecutor asked.
“Paul Manafort,” Gates replied.
Gates testified that he and Manafort under-reported income and failed to file FBAR, or Foreign Bank Account Report, forms……..
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