Judge issues gag order in Manafort-Gates case
A federal judge has issued a gag order in the federal government's case against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates, preventing them and their legal teams from speaking to the press.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson threatened the order last week, and the lawyers for Manafort and Gates did not object. Jackson's order comes after she chastised Manafort's lawyer last week for holding a press conference after court proceedings, fearing such media attention could taint the jury pool. Manafort and Gates face 12 counts, including conspiracy against the United States and money laundering. Federal prosecutors have asked that Manafort and Gates be placed on house arrest and GPS monitoring, although Manafort's lawyers have argued those precautions aren't necessary.
Their indictment is the result of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian election meddling and any ties to the Trump campaign, and the grand jury that stemmed from that investigation. Mueller's team is in the middle of interviewing current and former Trump associates. His team has interviewed former Trump aides such as former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Soon, Mueller's legal team will interview White House Communications Director Hope Hicks in a probe that does not appear to be winding down anytime soon.
Manafort and Gates aren't the only former Trump campaign associates facing charges. Former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, last week pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with foreign nationals. Documents unsealed in his case revealed that in a March 2016 meeting, Papadopoulos floated the idea of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and then-candidate Donald Trump, in a meeting that involved Mr. Trump and now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions.