Ex-Trump aide Gates pleads guilty in deal with special counsel
WASHINGTON - A former senior official in Donald Trump's 2016 US presidential campaign, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators, and is cooperating with a federal probe into Russia's role in the election.
The office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller told a federal court that Mueller would consider petitioning for Gates, a former deputy campaign manager for Trump, to serve a shorter sentence if he cooperates with the investigation.
Sentencing guidelines call for him to serve a prison term between 57 months and 71 months for the charges he pleaded guilty to. Gates was facing a series of more serious charges before Friday's plea.
