Rick Gates Guilty Plea: Conspiracy Against the United States and Lying to the FBI
Tier 1Resolved2016-03-29 to 2019-12-17
Factual Summary
On February 23, 2018, Rick Gates, Donald Trump's deputy campaign chairman during the 2016 presidential election, pleaded guilty to two federal charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office: conspiracy against the United States and making false statements to the FBI. The charges arose from Gates's work alongside Paul Manafort as a political consultant in Ukraine, where the two had earned tens of millions of dollars lobbying on behalf of the pro-Russian government of President Viktor Yanukovych without registering as foreign agents, while laundering proceeds through dozens of overseas bank accounts.
Gates had initially been indicted alongside Manafort in October 2017 on 12 counts, including conspiracy, money laundering, and failing to register as a foreign agent. As part of his plea agreement, Gates agreed to cooperate fully with the special counsel's investigation. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the remaining charges and agreed to recommend a reduced sentence.
Gates's cooperation proved extensive. He met with investigators more than 50 times and provided what prosecutors described as "extraordinary assistance" and "truthful, reliable" information. He served as the government's key cooperating witness at the trial of Paul Manafort in August 2018, testifying about their joint financial crimes and Manafort's efforts to conceal foreign income. Gates also testified at the trial of Roger Stone, Trump's longtime political adviser, and provided evidence in the case against Greg Craig, a former White House counsel under President Obama who was charged with lying about his Ukraine lobbying work.
In the Mueller report, Gates's testimony contributed to findings about contacts between the Trump campaign and individuals with ties to Russian intelligence, including Manafort's sharing of internal campaign polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Ukrainian political consultant assessed by the FBI to be linked to Russian intelligence.
On December 17, 2019, Gates was sentenced to 45 days in jail, three years of probation, 300 hours of community service, and a $20,000 fine. Judge Amy Berman Jackson noted that Gates's cooperation had been "substantial" and that he had taken responsibility for his actions. Gates was ordered to self-surrender in March 2020, though reporting was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Primary Sources
1. Criminal Information, United States v. Richard W. Gates III, No. 1:17-cr-201-2 (D.D.C. Feb. 23, 2018)
2. Plea Agreement, United States v. Richard W. Gates III, No. 1:17-cr-201-2 (D.D.C. Feb. 23, 2018)
3. Sentencing Memorandum and Order, United States v. Richard W. Gates III, December 17, 2019
4. Mueller Report, Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, Volume I, March 2019
Corroborating Sources
1. NPR: "Rick Gates, Key Witness In Mueller Investigation, Sentenced To 45 Days In Jail," December 17, 2019
2. NBC News: "Mueller probe: Manafort hit with new charges after Gates pleads guilty," February 23, 2018
3. Washington Post: "Rick Gates sentenced to 45 days in jail, 3 years probation for conspiracy and lying to FBI in Mueller probe," December 17, 2019
4. CNN: "Rick Gates, former Trump campaign aide who testified to Mueller, sentenced to 45 days in jail," December 17, 2019
5. PBS NewsHour: "What Rick Gates' plea deal means for the Russia probe," February 2018
Counterarguments and Context
Trump and his allies argued that Gates's crimes were personal financial matters unrelated to the 2016 campaign and that his cooperation with Mueller was motivated by self-interest rather than truthfulness. Trump publicly distanced himself from Gates after the plea, stating that Gates "was with the campaign for a very short period of time." In fact, Gates served as deputy campaign chairman from March 2016 through the convention and continued in a role with the presidential inaugural committee. Trump also argued that the Mueller investigation itself was a politically motivated "witch hunt" and that any findings derived from cooperating witnesses like Gates were tainted by prosecutorial pressure. Manafort's defense attorneys attacked Gates's credibility at trial, highlighting his admitted history of lying. The jury nonetheless convicted Manafort on eight of the eighteen counts he faced.
Author's Note
This entry is classified as Tier 1 because Gates pleaded guilty, cooperated extensively, and was sentenced. His case is significant in the broader record because he was the most senior member of Trump's 2016 campaign operation to plead guilty to federal charges. While Gates's underlying crimes predated his role on the Trump campaign, his cooperation provided investigators with direct testimony about the campaign's operations, including the transfer of internal polling data to a figure assessed by the FBI to have ties to Russian intelligence.