Michael Flynn pleads guilty: Charges in the Russia investigation so far
Former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III was named as special counsel in May to investigate Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election and any evidence of collusion by people linked to President Trump. He convened a criminal grand jury in August, which can be used to issue subpoenas, gather testimony and compel individuals to testify. Mueller has authority to investigate related crimes that his team uncovers, even if they are not connected to Russia.
Michael Flynn
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who briefly served as President Trump's national security advisor, plead guilty Friday morning to a single count of making false statements to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador.
The plea deal was announced by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who has been investigating whether members of Trump's team had aided Russian interference in last year's presidential election.
According to the plea deal, Flynn lied to FBI agents about whether he asked the Russian government in December 2016 to hold off on retaliating against sanctions imposed by then-President Obama for trying to interfere with the campaign. He also lied about how the Russian government had agreed to "moderate its response," according to the court papers.
The October indictment
Criminal charges against three former campaign aides to Trump, including his former campaign manager, marked a new phase in the investigation.
Paul Manafort, a wealthy Washington lobbyist and power broker and his political aide, Richard W. Gates III, were arraigned Monday in federal court on a dozen charges of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering in an alleged scheme to conceal more than $75 million overseas without paying taxes.
In addition to money laundering, the men were charged with filing false reports to conceal the fact that they were acting as unregistered foreign agents.
Separately, George Papadopoulos, a 30-year-old who served as a foreign policy advisor to Trump’s campaign, pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents. His plea agreement disclosed he had been cooperating with the investigation since this summer.
The entities used to launder more than $12 million
| Owned or controlled | Entity | Total laundered |
|---|---|---|
| OwnerManafort, Gates | BusinessLucicle Consultants Limited | Total laundered $3,387,075.00 |
| OwnerUnknown | BusinessYiakora Ventures Limited | Total laundered $3,139,249.00 |
| OwnerManafort, Gates | BusinessGlobal Highway Limited | Total laundered $2,283,702.00 |
| OwnerManafort | BusinessGlobal Endeavour Inc. | Total laundered $1,434,875.00 |
| OwnerManafort, Gates | BusinessLeviathan Advisors Limited | Total laundered $1,394,452.00 |
| OwnerManafort, Gates | BusinessLOAV Advisors Limited | Total laundered $202,500.00 |
| OwnerGates | BusinessPompolo Limited | Total laundered $188,900.00 |
| OwnerUnknown | BusinessUnknown | Total laundered $56,293.00 |
| OwnerManafort, Gates | BusinessPeranova Holdings Limited | Total laundered $37,500.00 |
| OwnerManafort, Gates | BusinessBlack Sea View Limited | Total laundered $20,000.00 |
Paul Manafort
Manafort worked for the Trump campaign from March until August 2106, serving for several months as campaign chairman. He resigned his position after being dogged by questions about his work for the pro-Russian former ruling political party in Ukraine.
The indictment alleges that Manafort failed to register his activities as an agent of a foreign power, the Ukrainians, and laundered $18 million that he received for his work, using it to buy real estate, expensive clothes and other items. The indictment also accuses him of getting loans against his properties to obtain cash in the United States without paying taxes on the income
Plea: Not guilty
Bail: $10 million
Conditions: House arrest, passport surrendered
| Charges | Status |
|---|---|
| ChargesConspiracy against the United States | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesConspiracy to launder money | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesFailed to report foreign accounts 2011 | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesFailed to report foreign accounts 2012 | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesFailed to report foreign accounts 2013 | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesFailed to report foreign accounts 2014 | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesUnregistered agent of a foreign principal | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesMade false statements in Foreign Agents Registration Act | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesCaused another to make a false statement | StatusAwaiting trial |
Richard W. Gates III
In this July 21, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on stage with Rick Gates, left, during a walk through at the Republican National Convention, Thursday, July 21, 2016, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The indictment alleges that Gates moved $3 million from offshore accounts to pay his mortgage, children’s tuition and bills for interior decorating.
Plea: Not guilty
Bail: $5 million
Conditions: House arrest, passport surrendered
| Charges | Status |
|---|---|
| ChargesConspiracy against the United States | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesConspiracy to launder money | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesFailed to report foreign accounts 2011 | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesFailed to report foreign accounts 2012 | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesFailed to report foreign accounts 2013 | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesUnregistered agent of a foreign principal | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesMade false statements in Foreign Agents Registration Act | StatusAwaiting trial |
| ChargesCaused another to make a false statement | StatusAwaiting trial |
George Papadopoulos
Photo of George Papadopoulos from his LinkedIn profile.
Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in a closed-door court hearing on Oct. 5 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with people who claimed to have direct connections with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials.
He admitted that he had met with an unnamed professor in London who told him that high-level Russian officials had damaging information on Hillary Clinton, including thousands of emails.
In court papers, Papadopoulos was described as a “proactive” cooperator, a term that veteran prosecutors say sometimes signals that a defendant has been wearing a hidden recording device to gather evidence on others.
Papadopoulos’ plea deal that means he will probably serve no more than six months in prison.
UPDATES:
Dec. 1, 7:55 a.m.: This article was updated to include details of Flynn’s guilty plea.
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