Thread by @BBuchman_CNS

#ManafortTrial Thread (1/8)
Rick #Gates entered a hushed courtroom Friday sporting a navy suit, gold tie and unlike he appeared in so many photographs during his highly publicized indictment in February, a now clean shaven face.

Gates began his testimony by recounting his personal history with Manafort, telling prosecutor Greg Andres he first met his former boss at a Christmas party in 1995 at Manafort’s Alexandria, Virginia home.
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At the time, Gates was just an intern at Manafort’s firm, Black Manafort Stone Kelly.
“What else did you do during the time you worked for him?” Andres said.
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Gates rattled off a list of other companies he worked at over the years but ended, telling prosecutors his last assignment with Manafort was in 2016 when they worked for “one of the presidential candidates.”
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Over the years, Gates said he only reported to Manafort. That chain of command was followed even when Gates began his work with Davis Manafort Partners International in Ukraine in 2006.
“How did you update [Manafort] while he was away and you were there?” Andres said.
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The men communicated regularly, Gates said. “
“By call or emails through the week. Then we created a weekly agenda where we could go down the list together,” Gates said. “Sometimes [we would communicate] more than once a day. (6/8)

When the men would meet in the U.S., they would meet at Manafort’s office or home in Alexandria, Virginia and if not there, Manafort’s business office in New York or even his apartment.
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Before prosecutors began digging into Gates’ testimony further, Andres asked Gates to provide context for why he appeared in court Monday.
“Did you commit any crimes? Were you indicted for those crimes?” Andres said.
“Yes,” Gates said in response to both questions. (8/8)