Ex-Trump aide Rick Gates to plead guilty to conspiracy against the US and lying to feds in Mueller probe

Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates -- a longtime business associate of Paul Manafort -- has pleaded guilty in the special counsel probe of Russian election interference.

Gates, who served as Trump's deputy campaign chairman, agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy against the United States and lying to federal investigators, according to a court filing reported by NBC News.

Both charges carry a maximum five-year prison term.

The 45-year-old Gates and the 68-year-old Manafort were indicted Oct. 30 on a variety of fraud and money-laundering charges in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Trump campaign ties to Russia.

The pair were hit again Feb. 22 with indictments on 32 counts of bank and tax fraud related to the case.

Gates' second set of attorneys asked to withdraw from the case Feb. 1, the same day the former Trump campaign official admitted he lied to Mueller's team about his conversations with an unspecified congressman and lobbyist.