A couple thoughts from Rick Gates sentencing today, drawn from report @dsamuelsohn & I filed on the proceedings politi.co/2PxHyjg
@dsamuelsohn Expectation going in was that Gates would get probation because that's what prosecution asked for (technically, they didn't oppose the defense's request for that)...But Jackson clearly felt Gates' crimes weren't trivial & worried that mere probation would send wrong msg
The judge used her moment in the spotlight, or at least the news, to push back against the AG Barr claim of 'completely bogus narrative' driving Trump-Russia probe. She said there was 'ample' basis to investigate.
That backs up the IG probe interviews with senior DOJ/FBI officials who said it would have been dereliction of duty not to look into the tips/info. She also indirectly accused unspecified others of trafficking in 'alternative facts' intended to subvert reality
She also found Gates' contrition to be genuine (at least after a brief initial outing that earned him a 2nd felony charge). And she noted the pressure he was under not to cooperate. By all accounts, Gates' cooperation has been extensive, but Jackson added a tidbit to that
The judge, who's seen stuff we haven't, said Gates has traveled 'across the country' to cooperate. Not clear what that means. NY for the state Manafort case? Chicago maybe for the Calk case (now in NY)? LA maybe for people trying to influence Trump thru the inauguration?
Today was also an old-home-week type event for ex-Mueller prosecutors, FBI, IRS, etc. About 20 such people were in the courtroom. A couple of the former big shots, Weissmann and Andres, offered signs of support for Gates.
But what struck me was the once massive investigative effort by the DOJ/FBI etc. was officially represented by only a single AUSA, Molly Gaston, who did all the talking for the government today and sat, alone, at a counsel table that dwarfed her.
A sign of how the various Mueller strands, known and unknown, have been parceled out in cases unlikely to ever draw the white-hot spotlight that followed the Mueller team wherever it went ENDS
