Ex-aide Gates admits crimes with Manafort
Gates testifies to false tax returns, secret accounts
The government’s star witness in the fraud trial of Paul Manafort testified Monday that he embezzled hundreds of thousands from the former Trump campaign chairman — and told jurors that he and Manafort committed crimes together. Rick Gates, described by witnesses as Manafort’s “right-hand man,” calmly related his criminal conduct as prosecutors looked to provide jurors with damning testimony from a co-conspirator they say carried out an elaborate scheme on behalf of his former boss.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Paul Manafort’s former business partner told a federal court jury that he engaged in a seven-year criminal conspiracy with his former boss in which he assisted in filing false tax returns, failed to disclose multiple foreign bank accounts and provided phony documents to banks to acquire millions of dollars in loans.
Testifying during the trial of the former Trump campaign chairman, who is accused of tax and bank fraud, Rick Gates said he helped maintain secret accounts in Cyprus, the Grenadines and the United Kingdom.
At Manafort’s direction, Gates testified, he did not disclose the accounts to his accountants or federal tax authorities.
Gates, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to the FBI this year, acknowledged his own criminal activity in open court as Manafort sat a few feet away at the defense table.
Manafort’s attorneys went on the attack earlier Monday, asserting that Gates directed accountants to falsify Manafort’s tax returns because he had “embezzled millions of dollars” from their consulting firm.
Manafort attorney Kevin Downing told U.S. District Judge T.S.Ellis III that he intended to present evidence of the embezzlement during questioning of a Manafort accountant who testified last week that she knowingly filed false tax returns on Manafort’s behalf.
Monday, Cynthia Laporta, who was provided immunity against prosecution in exchange for her testimony, told a federal court jury that Gates often