Mr. Manafort and Gates are each facing a twelve count indictment.
The indictment against both of these individuals makes the following charges:
Count 1 Conspiracy against the United States
Count 2 Conspiracy to Launder Money
Counts 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 — Failure to report foreign accounts
Count 10 — Unregistered agent of a foreign principal (FARA)
Count 11 — False or Misleading FARA statements
Count 12 — False statements
The interesting to me, as I am not a lawyer, is the last couple of pages of the indictment. Paragraph 52 is a notice of intent to seize assets. If there is a conviction on Count 2 (Money laundering) or count 10/11 (FARA violations) the Feds intend to get all of the ill-gotten gains. That to me is an invitation of Mr. Gates to think about his children and his wife. Does he really want to impoverish his family or does he really want to flip and start talking…