Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates will plead guilty to fraud related charges, and has agreed to testify against Paul Manafort.

Courtesy of CNN: 

Former Trump presidential campaign aide Rick Gates has agreed to testify against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and will plead guilty to fraud related charges, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

The Times reported Sunday a revised plea will be presented in federal court "within the next few days." 

CNN first reported last week that Gates was finalizing a plea deal and that he had been in plea negotiations with special counsel Robert Mueller's team for a month. 

Gates can expect "a substantial reduction in his sentence," to likely about 18 months in prison if he cooperates with the investigation, according to the LA Times report. He is also likely going to have to forfeit any cash or valuables obtained through his alleged illegal activity. 

Aside from the legal maneuvering, the father of four has faced personal and financial pressure to bring his legal proceedings to a speedy resolution, a person familiar with the situation told CNN.

Apparently Gates had hoped that wealthy GOP donors would have come to his rescue and donate to his defense fund, but since he is not a gun lobby or a candidate running for office, they simply could not be bothered.

I wrote about this on Friday, but now we know some of the details.

This of course ramps up pressure on Manafort who seems so far to be holding his ground, and maintains that he is not guilty of the charges against him.

Let's see how long that lasts now.

According to ABC News Michael Flynn will testify that Donald Trump personally directed him to reach out to the Russians before he took office.

Courtesy of ABC News:

Retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn has promised “full cooperation” in the special counsel’s Russia investigation and, according to a confidant, is prepared to testify that Donald Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians, initially as a way to work together to fight ISIS in Syria.

The stunning turn comes as Flynn pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI about his back-channel negotiations with the Russian ambassador – talks that occurred before Trump took office. The special counsel made the plea agreement public Friday morning. 

The confidant provided ABC News with new details on Friday about Trump’s instructions to Flynn. During the campaign, Trump asked Flynn to be one of a small group of close advisors charged with improving relations in Russia and other hot spots. The source said Trump phoned Flynn shortly after the election to explicitly ask him to “serve as point person on Russia,” and to reach out personally to Russian officials to develop strategies to jointly combat ISIS.

The confidant told ABC News that Flynn felt abandoned by Trump in recent weeks, and told friends about the decision to make the plea deal within the last 24 hours as he grew increasingly concerned about crippling legal costs he would face if he continued to contest the charges. 

“Flynn is very angry,” the confidant told ABC News Friday. “He will cooperate truthfully on any question they ask him.”

Now this is problematic not only because incoming administrations are not supposed to interfere with the current administrations foreign relations, but also becasue Trump has declared that he did not personally instruct Flynn to start these talks.

Remember the official explanation for Flynn being let go was that he lied to Mike Pence about these talks with Russia, but if he was told to conduct them by Trump that excuse falls apart.

Most recently the White House has claimed that Flynn's conversations with the Russians were signed off on by the Obama Administration.

Courtesy of The Hill: 

“They are saying here at the White House that Flynn’s conversations with Sergey Kisylak were quote ‘authorized’ by the Obama administration,” CNN correspondent Jim Acosta said. 

“We should point out, that is something that we have not heard before in terms of a defense from this White House,” he said.

Yeah, well that's complete bullshit since Obama himself warned Trump not to hire Michael Flynn.

This morning a reporter managed to get Trump's response to Michael Flynn's plea deal.

JUST IN: President Trump makes first comments after Michael Flynn's guilty plea.

Reporter: "Are you concerned about what Mike Flynn might tell the special counsel?"

Trump: "No, I'm not." pic.twitter.com/UlDrdPMU2S

— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 2, 2017

It's adorable how hard he is trying to make it seem like all of this is not killing him.

Michael Flynn has plead guilty to making false statements to the FBI about conversations with Russian ambassador. Can you say "plea deal?" Update!

NEWS: FLYNN will plead GUILTY to making false statements to the FBI about his conversations with KISLYAK pic.twitter.com/581L2ANkfH

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) December 1, 2017

Courtesy of CNN: 

Special counsel Robert Mueller has charged former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn with "willfully and knowingly" making "false, fictitious and fraudulent statements" to the FBI regarding conversations with Russia's ambassador.

The charge against Flynn is the first in Mueller's probe that has reached someone in the Trump White House and is the latest sign that the special counsel's investigation is intensifying.

Flynn's lawyers have previously criticized media reports about his connection to the Russia investigation as peddling "unfounded allegations, outrageous claims of treason, and vicious innuendo directed against him." Flynn hasn't spoken publicly since his ouster in February. 

The charges mark yet another stunning downfall for Flynn, 58, a retired general who rose to the highest ranks of the Army over a three-decade career -- only to see him drummed out of the military by the Obama administration before unexpectedly rising again on the heels of Trump's election victory. 

It is pretty clear that Mueller has a lot more on Flynn, and Flynn's son, so this guilty plea would clearly indicate that a deal has been struck.

And that means Flynn had something very significant with which to make such a deal. 

This seems like an appropriate place to share this again. 

Reminder: Flynn chanted “lock her up” at the RNC, said “If I did a tenth, a tenth of what she did, I would be in jail.” pic.twitter.com/AQY79rlzhm

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 1, 2017

More popcorn anyone?

Update: Trump's initial response.

LATEST: Pres. Trump's initial response to news of Michael Flynn's plea was that he was not surprised Flynn lied to the FBI, given he lied to the White House, source tells @ABC. https://t.co/aiagnvIJDs

— ABC News (@ABC) December 1, 2017

Yeah, that may be his official response, but his unofficial one is more along the lines of "AAARRRGGHH!!!"

Two more idiots from that Oregon standoff are pleading guilty. One of them was a Trump campaign official.

Courtesy of TPM:

Jerry DeLemus, a co-chair of Veterans for Trump in New Hampshire, is expected to plead guilty for his role in the 2014 militia standoff at the Bundy family's Nevada ranch, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Tuesday. 

In a court filing, Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro said DeLemus has indicated he would change his plea on August 23 after signing a plea agreement. 

DeLemus, who had been listed as an alternate delegate for Donald Trump to the RNC weeks after his indictment, faces nine federal charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime against the country and threatening a federal law enforcement officer.

I have to say that I am constantly impressed with the character of the people who support Donald Trump. (I totally typed that with a straight face. You'll just have to take my word for it.)

DeLemus is not alone in striking a plea deal.

Courtesy of KGW:

A former Marine whose appearances in widely shared videos made him one of the most recognizable figures during the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge pleaded guilty Monday for his role in the weekslong standoff with authorities. 

Jon Ritzheimer, 32, admitted that he conspired with Ammon Bundy and others to prevent U.S. Interior Department employees from doing their jobs at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and they did so by threats of force or intimidation. 

Prosecutors dropped two charges as part of a plea agreement - theft of government property and possessing a firearm on federal property. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel said prosecutors will recommend 2½ years in prison when the Arizona man is sentenced in May. Ritzheimer's attorney, Terri Wood, can argue for less.

You may remember Ritzheimer as the guy who made this cringe worthy/hysterical video before going to the Oregon wildlife refuge.

That video only gets funnier now that we know he caved like a little bitch in order to avoid a long prison sentence.

Which leaves Ryan Bundy, who recently got into a scuffle with the guards, and his brother Ammon Bundy, who is still fighting his incarceration, behind.

Seriously what did these idiots think was going to happen to them?