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Article snippet: WASHINGTON — In the first charges brought by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, in his investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, President Trump’s former campaign manager Paul J. Manafort Jr. and his business partner, Rick Gates, have been indicted. Separately, George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser to the campaign, has pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about meetings in March and April 2016 with a Russian agent who promised “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. The charges against Mr. Manafort and Mr. Gates center on a series of criminal allegations related to their lobbying for a pro-Russia government of Ukraine, not to Mr. Trump or the campaign. It is widely believed that Mr. Mueller is hoping to pressure Mr. Manafort into providing information about the central subject of his investigation. Below are excerpts from the indictment followed by analysis by New York Times reporters. We will continue to update as our team goes through the legal documents. The opening paragraph of the indictment lays out a narrative framework for understanding the complex details subsequent pages delve into. In brief, prosecutors contend that Mr. Manafort and Mr. Gates violated a law that requires Americans to register and disclose activities undertaken as agents of a foreign power, and then that they took steps to launder tens of millions of dollars in income from that work and to evade paying taxes on it. In July, Mr. Mueller’s team ... Link to the full article to read more