Three attorneys representing Rick Gates told a federal court Thursday they are immediately withdrawing as counsel for the former Donald Trump campaign aide, who is fighting special counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment of him on money laundering and other charges.
Lawyers Shanlon Wu, Walter Mack and Annemarie McAvoy said in a two-page motion that they would explain the reasons for their abrupt move in documents filed under seal with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“The document speaks for itself,” McAvoy told POLITICO, declining further comment.
Gates and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort both pleaded not guilty to Mueller’s charges filed in October, the first to be publicly announced in relation to the investigation into whether the Republican presidential campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election.
While Gates’ shift in legal strategy was a surprise, speculation had been mounting that the longtime GOP operative might be seeking to cooperate with the Mueller investigation. CNN reported last month that Gates had added Washington defense attorney Tom Green to his team, noting he’d been spotted at Mueller’s downtown office twice.
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POLITICO: Lawyers for Rick Gates withdraw from Russia case https://t.co/ACegZHYlSt
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) February 1, 2018
The lawyers for ex-Trump aide Rick Gates, indicted alongside Paul Manafort, have asked for permission to withdraw from the case "effective immediately." pic.twitter.com/iEG4X41TKd
— Brad Heath (@bradheath) February 1, 2018
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