Former Trump campaign staffer Richard Gates has reportedly retained a veteran Washington, D.C., lawyer known for negotiating plea deals, according to a report by ABC News.
The attorney, Tom Green, has formally become a part of the Gates legal team, according to an order of appearance filed Thursday night and reported on by ABC.
The move comes amid high scrutiny of Gates, a pivotal figure in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of Russia.
Mueller filed new charges against Gates and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on Thursday that raises pressure on both men.
There has been speculation that Mueller would be seeking a plea deal with Gates that would get him to testify against Manafort.
Earlier on Thursday, the Daily Beast reported that Gates had fired Green in a sign that a plea deal with Mueller might be off.
Gates and Manafort had worked with the Ukrainian government led by former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich.
The new 32-count superseding indictment against Gates and Manafort related to their work in political consulting for pro-Russian operatives in Ukraine. The charges include tax fraud, failing to file reports on foreign bank and financial accounts, and bank fraud conspiracy.
It alleges that Gates and Manfort stashed profits from their work in overseas banks and that they had been running the scheme since 2006.
Several news outlets had reported recently that Gates appeared to be close to a deal with Mueller that could see him turn on Manafort.
Gates and Manafort were both charged by Mueller in October for crimes including conspiracy against the U.S., and have pleaded not guilty.
The Hill has reached out to Green for comment on the matter.