Article snippet: The focus of special counsel MORE’s investigation is about to shift to Richard Gates. Gates, MORE’s former deputy campaign chairman, has been quietly cooperating with federal prosecutors for over a year on Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He’s also a cooperating witness to other undisclosed federal probes. A certain air of mystery has long surrounded exactly what Gates is telling his interlocutors, with periodic court filings offering up only nebulous details about his interactions with federal prosecutors. But a Friday filing deadline in his case could offer new details about the extent of his cooperation. It could also provide new clues about the status of Mueller’s sprawling inquiry — which many believe is close to wrapping up. If prosecutors and attorneys for Gates say he is ready to be sentenced, it will likely be taken as another sign of closure for the special counsel’s two-year probe. “I think we have to take that as another sign that things are near the end,” said Randall Eliason, a George Washington University law professor and former assistant U.S. attorney. “What that would mean is not only that he is done cooperating, but that they don’t anticipate any trials where they would want him to testify.” Gates, one of the first Trump associates ensnared in Mueller’s investigation, was indicted alongside Manafort in October 2017 on charges stemming from their lobbying for Russia-backed politicians in Ukraine. Gates ev... Link to the full article to read more