Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Paul Manafort’s right-hand man Rick Gates left his home in Richmond, Virginia Monday morning to surrender to federal authorities.
The indictment issued by a grand jury in Washington, D.C., against Gates and Manafort contained 12 counts that include conspiracy against the U.S., conspiracy of money laundering, and failing to disclose their work as foreign agents.
While Manafort is more well-recognized for his prominent role as Trump’s campaign manager, Gates’ work for Trump includes wrangling GOP convention delegates during the election and arranging his inaugural ceremony.
Gates, 45, and Manafort’s relationship goes back to their days working together for Manafort’s political consulting firms Davis Manafort Partners, Inc., formed in 2005, and DMP International, formed in 2011.
Gates followed Manafort to the Trump campaign, joining in March the same time as Manafort. Gates took the helm of the campaign’s operations for the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio and was eventually promoted to deputy campaign manager. Gates was also reportedly the man who signed off on Melania Trump’s RNC speech that appeared to plagiarize parts of former first lady Michelle Obama’s speech to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
But while Manafort left the campaign in late August 2016, facing mounting questions about his political consulting in Ukraine, Gates remained on.
After Trump won the White House, Gates became close with Trump’s friend Tom Barrack, who was tapped to lead the Presidential Inauguration Committee. Gates became the No. 2 man in charge of planning Trump’s inauguration ceremony in January. He still works as an adviser to Barrack, a role he’s held since March 2017.
Once Trump was in the White House, Gates joined the 501 c (4) organization America First Policies, aimed at pushing Trump’s agenda.
But it was not long before Gates was pulled into the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Gates was removed from the organization in late March 2017.
The indictment issued today says that Gates, along with Manafort, acted as “unregistered agents” of a Ukrainian political party that had pro-Russian motives. Having taken a role in Trump’s campaign, Gates failed to disclose his work as foreign agent during his time at Manafort’s political consulting firms.
According to the indictment, Gates also aided Manafort in obtaining money from these offshore accounts and used the money to pay for his personal expenses.
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