Special Counsel Robert Mueller has filed a motion to drop the latest charges against Rick Gates that were filed last Thursday. Gates pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy against the United States and lying to the FBI and is cooperating with Mueller's investigation.
Why it matters: Mueller's decision to drop the more expansive charges against Gates suggests that he may have provided good information for Mueller's probe. Gates still faces an advisory sentence of 57 to 71 months under his guilty plea, per Bloomberg, but it's worth nothing that the "prosecution can request a shorter sentence but isn't required to do so."
Politico adds that Gates, now that he is cooperating, also will be allowed to travel outside the previously restricted range.
Gates also secured another win on Tuesday when a different judge granted his request to take his children to Boston next week for their spring break — well outside the 110-mile corridor between his home in Richmond and Washington that he’d previously been confined to for his travels.
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His trip to Boston — to run from March 2-8 — was pitched to the court as a chance “to show his children around the Boston area to learn about American history in general, and the Revolutionary War in particular.”
Mueller’s office did not oppose the spring break trip, which Gates formally requested on the first business day after he pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate on the Russia probe.
Mueller moves to dismiss charges against Gates (Axios)
Mueller drops charges against Rick Gates, court OKs Boston spring break trip (Politico)