Three lawyers representing former Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates don’t agree with him and thus no longer want to represent him in federal court.
“Irreconcilable differences have developed with the client which make our effective representation of the client impossible," Gates' trial attorneys Shan Wu, Walter Mack, and Annemarie McAvoy wrote in a filing submitted in Washington last Thursday.
That filing was unsealed after Wednesday’s closed-door hearing, led by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson.
“Counsel is constrained by attorney-client privilege as to the specifics involved but understand that the Court may wish to inquire more specifically of counsel for the basis of this motion,” the filing says. “Counsel will make themselves available to the Court for such inquiry in whatever forum the Court deems appropriate.”
Another document that was filed last week related to their reason for withdrawing has not yet been released.
Gates and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort are facing a handful of charges as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.
The two have both pleaded guilty to all charges, which include money laundering and failure to disclose foreign lobbying.
Prominent white-collar attorney Tom Green, who joined Gates’ defense team in late January, reportedly remains on as counsel.
