Special Counsel charges 3 individuals over Russia probe News
Special Counsel charges 3 individuals over Russia probe

UPDATE 2:32PM ET: Manafort and Gates have pleaded not guilty.

Special Counsel [official website] Robert Mueller on Monday revealed charges [indictment] against two former Trump campaign officials, and a plea agreement with a third, marking the first criminal charges to come from a probe into possible Russian influence in US political affairs.

The three individuals charged [CNN report] were Paul Manafort, his longtime business partner Rick Gates and former Trump foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty [text, PDF] earlier this month to making a false statement to FBI investigators in connection to these charges, which were unsealed Monday.

Manafort and Gates were charged in a 12-count indictment with conspiracy to launder money, making false statements, conspiracy against the US and other charges. The majority of the charges in regards to Manafort and Gates deal with their affairs advising a Russian friendly political party in Ukraine.

The Papadopoulos charges are the only thing related to the Trump campaign. The majority of the charges deal with vast monetary sums acquired by Manafort and Gates and their attempts to hide the money from federal authorities.