Key aide to take center stage at Manafort’s fraud trial

Whom to believe — the accused liar, or the admitted one? A Virginia jury is expected to wrestle with that question this week, when it is scheduled to hear testimony from the former protege of Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman now facing trial on bank fraud and tax charges.

Rick Gates worked for years as Manafort’s right-hand man, managing his clients, his business, and his accounts. He also served as a senior Trump campaign aide and played a major role in planning the 2017 inauguration. This week, Gates begins a new role: star witness against his former boss and business partner.

The Manafort trial, which began last week, is the first public test of the work done by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is tasked with uncovering any wrongdoing surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether the president has obstructed justice. Though this case is not about Russia or possible election conspiracy, it has captured Trump’s attention. Since the trial began, Trump has denounced what he calls the unfair treatment of Manafort and called for the Mueller probe to be shut down immediately. Aides insisted the president’s comments were an opinion, not an order.

Gates’ testimony against Manafort, which could happen as early as today, will do more than lay bare the end of a long relationship that made both men millions of dollars as political consultants. The prosecution’s theory is that, time after time, Manafort instructed Gates to lie, and many of those lies were crimes. If the jury agrees, Manafort, 69, could spend the rest of his life in prison.