Rick Gates had reportedly been working toward a plea deal with Robert Mueller, but the latest charges brought against him could kill any potential of a deal in the short term.
UPDATE: This article originally stated, based on a Daily Beast report, that Gates had fired his lawyer, Tom Green. However, ABC News and others have since reported that Gates has retained Green. It's unclear at this time what the future looks like for Gates' legal team.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller brought 32 new financial charges against former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his business associate Rick Gates on Thursday.
Why it matters: "The new charges intensify the legal pressure on Manafort and Gates as they prepare for trial later this year," the Washington Post says.
North Korea will send its head of national intelligence, General Kim Yong-chol, to the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, reports BBC News. Kim is the former head of North Korea's spy agency, which was accused of carrying out attacks that killed scores of South Koreans under his leadership.
Why it matters: There has been a remarkable thawing of relations between the two countries on display at the Olympics, but the U.S. has been wary of engaging in such diplomacy without signals Pyongyang will roll back its nuclear and missile programs. Ivanka Trump will lead the U.S. delegation, but officials say there is no formal meeting planned between her and the North Korean party.
Liu He is coming to D.C. next week, sometime between Feb. 27 and March 2, my sources tell me. His trip will follow the early February visit of Politburo member and top diplomat Yang Jiechi — whose visit was not seen as successful by either side.
Why it matters: Beijing will now have sent two Politburo-level emissaries in the last several weeks to try to re-engage with the U.S., and to get a clear message on exactly what the Trump Administration wants. Beijing is looking to restart the Comprehensive Economic Dialogue but so far the Trump administration has not agreed.
On the itinerary this week at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), along with President Trump and 12 senior members of his administration, are two controversial populists from across the pond. Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, the 28-year-old former French MP, will speak shortly after Vice President Pence on Thursday morning, while former U.K. Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage will close out Friday's session.
Why it matters: Both Maréchal-Le Pen and Farage are treated as fringe figures by leaders in their respective countries, so the decision to grant them prime slots at America's leading conservative conference is sure to raise some eyebrows — especially when more moderate European conservative voices weren't extended an invitation.
New criminal charges have been filed in Bob Mueller’s case on Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates, according to sealed court records Reuters has reportedly viewed. The Special Counsel's office declined comment to Axios.
What it means: The one-page document was included in a binder that is updated with new criminal charges, which could signal that Mueller’s office has just filed a superseding indictment replacing the indictment issued last year, reports Reuters. It is also possible this adds a new defendant to the charges filed in October, according to Politico. The judge can unseal the file if someone files a motion to do so.
