title: Manafort associate Gates hires new defense team in Russia probe case
text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A longtime associate of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has hired a new team of lawyers to defend himself against charges brought in a probe looking at alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election, a spokesman said on Thursday. Richard Gates and Manafort were charged with money laundering, conspiracy against the United States and other counts earlier this week as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of alleged Russia interference. Gates and Manafort have pleaded not guilty in the case. Gates hired a new legal team comprised of attorney Walter Mack of the law firm of Doar Rieck Kaley and Mack in New York and attorney Shan Wu of Wu, Grohovsky and Whipple in Washington, his spokesman said in a statement. 