A federal judge set a plea hearing for 2pm (1900 GMT) for Gates, who had been facing much more serious charges including bank fraud and conspiracy to launder money. On Thursday, Mueller filed a 32-count indictment against Gates and his former business partner Paul Manafort, who was Trump’s campaign manager for five months in 2016. Gates has been charged with conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, bank fraud, and bank fraud conspiracy, among other charges. A guilty plea by Gates would increase pressure on Manafort to also seek a plea deal. Cooperation by the two could potentially provide a rich vein of information for Mueller, who is also investigating whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Moscow to interfere in the election.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 23, 2018 18:11 UTC