Gates Says He Stole, Lied and Cheated But Trust Him Anyway
- Manafort lawyer attacks ex-aide as untrustworthy witness
- Jury hears conflicting accounts of Manafort and his money
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Rick Gates, the star witness in Paul Manafort’s fraud trial, admitted that he stole money from his former boss to pay for an extramarital affair, lied to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and may have submitted false expenses to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee.
But even under two hours of withering cross-examination, Gates stuck to his basic account, insisting that he’s telling the truth now about how he helped Manafort hide millions of dollars from U.S. tax authorities and lie to banks to obtain loans.