Robert Mueller charges attorney with making false statements to special counsel's office
Special counsel Robert Mueller has charged an attorney for making false statements to the FBI and his office, which is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Alex Van Der Zwaan was charged with “willfully and knowingly making materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements” to both the special counsel’s office and FBI investigators.
The false statements were related to his work as an attorney employed by a law firm working on behalf of Ukraine's Ministry of Justice in 2012 to prepare a report on the trial of Ukrainian politician Yulia Tymoshenko, according to the indictment unsealed Tuesday.
According to the indictment, Van Der Zwaan also communicated with Richard Gates, who has been charged by Mueller and is reportedly set to take a plea deal. Van Der Zwaan is expected to plead guilty in federal court in Washington Tuesday afternoon.