Rick Gates, Paul Manafort’s right-hand man told the court today that he committed ‘criminal activity’ with his former boss. Included in his blockbuster testimony:
- Mr. Manafort held 15 foreign bank accounts that were not disclosed to the federal government. Mr. Gates said the required financial filings were not submitted “at Mr. Manafort’s direction.”
- Bank fraud.
- Tax fraud.
- Money laundering.
- Lying to federal authorities
If convicted, Mr. Manafort, 69, could go to jail for the rest of his life.
This comes uncomfortably close to the White House as Manafort was Mr. Trump’s campaign chairman, and is Robert Mueller’s first case in the Russian collusion broader investigation.