Thread by @BBuchman_CNS

#ManafortTrial Thread -
On redirect, Gates told prosecutor Greg Andres that he was not under the impression he was under investigation during the FBI interview and that he was never asked to produce his tax returns.

After the FBI interview, he said, Manafort asked him to meet with their Ukrainian contacts so he could get more information about whether the entities were “clean” or in other words, untraceable.

Andres also spent more than 15 minutes asking Gates to clarify parts of his testimony from Tuesday regarding the guilty plea entered in a federal court in Washington, D.C. earlier this year.

Tuesday’s cross examination appeared to throw Gates into momentary confusion about which counts he ultimately plead to, but Andres recounted charges again, methodically.
“

Is there any doubt in your mind that you at one time provided false statements [to the special counsel?]” Andres said after Gates read parts of his plea agreement to the court, verbatim.
“No,” Gates said.

Downing’s comments during cross Tuesday suggesting Gates “embezzled” from Manafort also drew Andres’ attention Wednesday.
“Were you ever charged with embezzling in Washington, D.C. or in the Eastern District of Virginia?
“No,” Gates said.

“Did Mr. Manafort ever confront you [about the embezzling]?” Andres said.
Again Gates responded, “No.”
Downing’s ?s during cross suggesting Gates withheld information about foreign bank registration and kept Manafort in the dark over what his own accountants suggested...

were also beaten back by Andres during redirect.
Andres asked plainly: “If you give false information to a tax preparer, can you expect sound advice?”
Gates said no.