The trial attorneys who want to stop representing former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates will be in court Wednesday for a private hearing about their reasons for withdrawing, a federal judge said Friday.
Gates’ attorneys, Walter Mack, Shanlon Wu and Annemarie McAvoy, told the court late Thursday they wanted to withdraw from the case immediately.
They provided a reason to the court under seal. Mack, one of the now-former attorneys for Gates, declined to comment Thursday.
Gates pleaded not guilty in October to eight charges of money laundering and failing to register foreign lobbying and other business. His longtime business partner, former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, pleaded not guilty to nine counts in the same case as Gates.
CNN recently reported that Gates had quietly added a prominent white-collar attorney, Tom Green, to his defense team, signaling a possible change to his legal approach.
On Thursday, attorneys from Green’s firm were seen entering the building where special counsel Robert Mueller works.