Rick Gates, the former Trump campaign official and onetime business partner of Paul Manafort, was sentenced to 45 days in jail on counts of conspiracy and lying to federal investigators.
Gates, 47, appeared in federal court to learn his sentence Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced him to 36 months probation and 45 days behind bars, which he will be allowed to serve on weekends or according to an agreement with probation officers. He must also pay a fine of $20,000 a month for 20 months, and complete 300 hours of community service.
Gates was one of six Trump associates charged in connection to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He pleaded guilty to two counts in February 2018, admitting he lied to federal investigators and helped Manafort conceal millions of dollars in overseas payments. Gates agreed to cooperate with the government, becoming the star witness in high-profile trials of three others charged in the Mueller probe: Manafort, Roger Stone and Greg Craig.
He has met with prosecutors more than 50 times, testified in three criminal trials — including the cases against Manafort and Stone — and admitted crimes that the government didn’t already know about, according to a Justice Department court filing last week.
“Gates’ cooperation has been steadfast despite the fact that the government has asked for his assistance in high profile matters, against powerful individuals, in the midst of a particularly turbulent environment,” prosecutors wrote. “Gates received pressure not to cooperate with the government, including assurances of monetary assistance.”
(CBS News, AP contributed to this report.)
