On Monday, the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his longtime business associate, Richard Gates, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on 12 criminal counts that include conspiracy and money laundering. Manafort and Gates surrendered themselves to FBI officials Monday. The indictment contends that Manafort earned more than $18 million dollars for consulting work for pro-Russian interests, that he hid his wealth in off-shore accounts, and that he spent it on a “lavish lifestyle.” Manafort and Gates have pleaded not guilty to the charges, but it was also revealed Monday that former Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos, who was quietly arrested by the FBI last July, pleaded guilty October 5th to charges related to his efforts to arrange meetings between the Trump campaign and Russian government officials.
Professor Byron Warnken, who teaches constitutional and criminal law at the University of Baltimore, joins Tom on the line to examine what the indictments mean and what might follow, as Special Counsel Mueller continues his investigation into connections between Russia and the Trump campaign.
This article was edited on 10/31 to add the reference to George Papadopoulos' indictment and guilty plea.
