why was alex van der zwaan, a dutch lawyer put in jail

by Liliana Kuvalis 8 min read

Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, 33, was sentenced to 30 days in prison for lying to investigators about contacts with ex-Trump aide Rick Gates. He struck a plea deal in February. Van der Zwaan is the son-in-law of one of Russia's richest men and was the 19th person to be charged by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Full Answer

Who is Alex van der Zwaan and why was he sentenced?

Apr 03, 2018 · Van der Zwaan is a 33-year-old, London-based lawyer who is a Dutch citizen. He is also the son-in-law of a prominent Russia-based banker, according to The Washington Post. In February, van der...

Who is Robert van der Zwaan?

Apr 03, 2018 · The first person has been jailed as part of the FBI inquiry into alleged collusion between Donald Trump's presidential campaign team and Russia. Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, 33, was sentenced...

Why did van der Zwaan leave Skadden Arps?

Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, the son-in-law of Russian oligarch German Khan, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 days in prison and must pay a $20,000 fine for lying to federal investigators about his...

Who is Michael van der Zwaan's wife?

Apr 03, 2018 · A Dutch attorney was sentenced on Tuesday to 30 days in prison for lying to federal agents, in the first formal conviction obtained by Robert Mueller in his investigation of Russian election...

Who is Van der Zwaan?

The Dutchman is a London-based lawyer who formerly worked at international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

What were the accusations?

According to court documents, Van der Zwaan "wilfully and knowingly" made false statements to investigators while answering questions about a report prepared in 2012 by his former law firm for the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice on the trial of Yulia Tymoshenko.

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Special counsel Robert Mueller has brought charges against 19 individuals and he has obtained five guilty pleas. Now, with Alex van der Zwaan's 30-day prison sentence, he has closed his first case.

Who else has been charged by Mr Mueller?

Nineteen people - including Mr Manafort and Mr Gates - have been indicted by the special counsel:

Van der Zwaan sentenced to 30 days in prison for lying to special counsel

Judge Amy Berman Jackson said van der Zwaan's false statements were not an incidental mistake but a knowing lie during an investigation of international importance. She said she took into account that he is an attorney and should have known better.

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Prosecuting van der Zwaan was more likely intended to send a message that Mueller's team would move aggressively against anyone who tried to obstruct their investigation rather than to enlist van der Zwaan's help. The terms of his plea do not require him to cooperate with prosecutors.

How long was Van der Zwaan in prison?

He served 30 days in prison and was fined $20,000. After serving his sentence, Van der Zwaan was deported to the Netherlands. He was later pardoned in December 2020 by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice was his firm's client and central to the indictment.

Where is Van der Zwaan from?

Education and career. Van der Zwaan, a Dutch citizen, was born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1984. He received his LL.B. at King's College London in 2006, and completing his Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School in 2007. He was admitted to practice law as a solicitor in England and Wales in September 2009. He began working at the London office of the ...

Who is the lawyer who defended the prosecution of Yanukovych's rival?

Van der Zwaan , who speaks Russian, was one of the eight attorneys who worked on Skadden Arps's 2012 report, commissioned by the government of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych via Paul Manafort, that defended the prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of Yanukovych's rival, the country's former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Van der Zwaan worked closely with Gregory B. Craig in preparing the report, assisting with fact-finding and attending meetings in Ukraine. He also served as rule-of-law consultant to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. In a 2017 interview former United States ambassador to Ukraine John E. Herbst said that Skadden Arps "should have been ashamed" of the report, calling it "a nasty piece of work".