By Beyza Binnur Donmez
ANKARA (AA) – A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday sentenced former Trump campaign official Rick Gates to 45 days in jail and three years of probation, despite his extensive cooperation with federal investigators.
Neither prosecutors nor attorneys requested any prison time for Gates because of his cooperation, the Los Angeles Times reported.
In February 2018, he pleaded guilty to charges relating to lucrative political consulting work he did in Ukraine, as part of the ongoing Muller probe into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 White House race and President Donald Trump's campaign.
He has met with prosecutors more than 50 times, testified in three criminal trials after he agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, according to a Justice Department court filing last week.
"Gates' cooperation has been steadfast despite the fact that the government has asked for his assistance in high profile matters, against powerful individuals, in the midst of a particularly turbulent environment," prosecutors wrote.
"Gates received pressure not to cooperate with the government, including assurances of monetary assistance," they added.
