Rick Gates, a senior aide for Donald Trump's presidential campaign who was indicted as part of the special counsel's Russia investigation, received permission from a federal judge to leave house arrest on Tuesday in order to vote in Virginia's high-stakes election.
The campaign of Democrat Ralph Northam, who is locked in a neck and neck race with Gillespie for the governor’s mansion, accused Gillespie of hypocrisy because he didn’t speak out against Gates’ request after criticizing the restoration of rights to a person charged with a notorious crime.
“If Ed Gillespie believes his fellow consultant, Rick Gates, should be allowed to vote after being charged with conspiracy against the United States, he proves once again he has no principles and no belief in what he campaigns on,” said Northam campaign spokesman David Turner.
Turner said the campaign doesn’t object to Gates receiving permission to vote, only what it calls hypocrisy from the Gillespie campaign.
Aides to Gillespie declined to comment.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson granted Gates permission to vote, provided he informs pre-trial services about the location of his polling place and the time he planned to cast his ballot.
Matt Zapotowsky contributed to this report.