A Republican lobbyist and lawyer is hosting a second fundraiser for Rick Gates, the former Trump campaign aide who recently pleaded guilty to charges stemming from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia meddling.
The fundraiser, hosted by Jack Burkman, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on March 20 at a Holiday Inn in Arlington, Va. Proceeds will benefit the Defending American Rights Legal Fund, which is currently helping to cover Gates’ legal fees and representation.
“Burkman will discuss how the fund was impacted by the initial charity event’s controversy, as well as provide new details on additional steps taken regarding U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson,” according to a release.
Burkman first held a fundraiser to help Gates in December, and Gates appeared in a video that played during the event. His appearance in the video, as well as his relationship with Burkman, irked Jackson, who is overseeing the case.
The legal fund is described as an effort by Burkman to “provide non-biased assistance for any American whose rights are being challenged or may be facing a politically motivated trial.”
Gates and Paul Manafort, a business associate and former Trump campaign chairman, were indicted on a combined 12 counts by a federal grand jury in October.
He and Manafort pleaded not guilty then.
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned a second 32-count indictment against the two last week.
Gates then pleaded guilty to two charges: conspiracy against the United States and making a false statement to federal investigators.
Following Gates’s guilty plea, Mueller moved to dismiss the new charges against him.
