Special counsel Robert Mueller, leading the investigation into Russian collusion, has charged a lawyer for misleading the FBI about his interaction with former Trump aide and businessman Rick Gates. The lawyer, Alex Van der Zwaan, is the son-in-law of Russian oligarch German Khan. He is expected to plead guilty Tuesday afternoon.
BREAKING: New case from the special counsel's office. Defendant is Alex Van Der Zwaan, charged with making false statements. He has a plea hearing scheduled for today at 2:30pm https://t.co/IJ3qLW2f9W pic.twitter.com/6no512ClTy
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) February 20, 2018
The defendant, the document reads, "did willfully and knowingly make materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations" in November regarding a report he helped prepare for Gates on the trial of Ukrainian politician Yulia Tymoshenko.
Gates, along with former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, was indicted by Mueller last year for money laundering and conspiracy against the United States. He pleaded not guilty at the time, but is expected to change that plea in the coming days.
On Friday, Mueller charged 13 Russian nationals with interfering in the U.S. election process. While there was evidence to suggest they were trying to help the Trump campaign and disparage the Clinton campaign, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein noted that no American knowingly colluded with the defendants and that their actions did not affect the election results.
In his response, President Trump emphasized that last part.
Russia started their anti-US campaign in 2014, long before I announced that I would run for President. The results of the election were not impacted. The Trump campaign did nothing wrong - no collusion!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 16, 2018
Just two days ago, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper predicted that there are "other shoes to drop" in the Russian investigation.
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