CANARY TIME: Mueller To Drop Charges Against Gates

CNBC reports:

Special counsel Robert Mueller moved Monday to dismiss more than 20 charges against former Trump campaign official Rick Gates, multiple outlets reported, after Gates pleaded guilty last week to conspiracy and lying. The charges being dropped were brought against Gates in a court in Alexandria, Virginia, in keeping with the terms of his plea deal.

“The Office will move promptly to dismiss the remaining counts of the Indictment in this matter,” the agreement says. “In addition, the Office will move promptly to dismiss without prejudice the charges brought against your client in the Eastern District of Virginia.”

On Friday, Gates pleaded guilty to two additional charges on the same day they were issued: conspiracy against the U.S. and lying to federal investigators. He still faces a prison sentence of nearly six years, but the special counsel has the ability to request a shorter sentence for him. That tool could be crucial for Mueller’s team, who could use the leverage of a lighter prison sentence to yield more valuable information from Gates about the ongoing Russia probe.