Dec. 17 (UPI) — Former Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates was sentenced Tuesday to 45 days in jail and three years of probation for pleading guilty to charges related to the Justice Department’s two-year investigation of Russia.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson announced the sentencing in federal court. Gates faced nearly five years in prison on charges of making false statements and conspiring against the United States government. He pleaded guilty last year.
The court allowed Gates to serve his jail time on weekends.
Prosecutors agreed to lighter punishment due to Gates’ cooperation in two cases related to the Russia investigation. Both resulted in conviction and one led to the conviction of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his seven-year prison sentence for fraud.
Gates’ assistance also led to the conviction of political strategist Roger Stone — a friend and confidant to President Donald Trump — for lying to Congress. Further, Gates testified in the case of attorney Gregory Craig on charges he lied to prosecutors about his work with Manafort in Ukraine. He was acquitted.
Manafort still faces unrelated state charges in New York. He pleaded not guilty in June to 16 felony fraud counts in a mortgage fraud scheme.
Gates, who met with investigators at least 50 times for more than 500 hours, was one of the first officials indicted in the Russia investigation.
