instruction:
Given a document, find the main entity about whom the author is writing. Write the full name if mentioned in the text. Note that URLs in the text have been replaced with [Link].
question:
Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller broke his own record this week for guilty pleas. On Tuesday  Dutch attorney Alex van der Zwaan appeared in federal court and admitted he had lied to investigators about his contacts with  Donald Trump's former campaign vice chairman  Rick Gates .
On Friday   Gates himself  appeared before a federal judge and confirmed that  he  is changing  his  plea to guilty.  He  had been fighting the case brought against  him  and the former Trump campaign chairman  Paul Manafort  which alleged they laundered millions of dollars and broke other laws related to their work for clients in Ukraine.
 Gates  and Manafort have not been charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by "impairing  obstructing and defeating the lawful functions of the government through fraud and deceit for the purpose of interfering with the U.S. political and electoral processes." That was the charge Mueller leveled at 13 Russians and three Russian companies he says did interfere with the election.
Or the special counsel's office could be laying down one brick in a larger structure. At the very least   Gates'  future testimony against  his  longtime business partner raises the likelihood that Manafort could be convicted of some or all of the charges  he  continues fighting.
Manafort and his lawyers know this. So one of Mueller's strategies in getting  Gates  to turn state's evidence might be to persuade Manafort to do the same and tell what he knows about other people in the Trump campaign orbit.
Or evidence from  Gates  might be what the special counsel's office needs to build a case against Manafort for conspiring in the 2016 Russian interference effort. Or  after years of working with Manafort   Gates  might have other evidence that would permit Mueller to bring new charges against Manafort.
Mueller announced a new indictment in Manafort's case on Friday evening. After  Gates  appeared in federal court Friday to enter his plea  Manafort continued to maintain his innocence and said he remained committed "to defend myself against the untrue piled up charges contained in the indictments against me."
answer:
Gates


question:
Germany's Audi has abandoned plans to sell its Italian motorcycle brand Ducati  its chief executive Rupert Stadler said  in a sign of confidence that the carmaker expects to be able to carry the costs of its transformation.
Steps to reduce costs by 10 billion euros ($11.8 billion)  cut red tape and deepen ties with fellow Volkswagen-owned brand Porsche are "gradually increasing our financial and organizational leeway for the strategic realignment " chief executive  Rupert Stadler  told reporters.
There is  therefore  no economic need to sell Ducati   Stadler  said. Volkswagen asked banks to evaluate options for Ducati and transmissions maker Renk earlier this year as seeks to become more nimble in its shift towards electric and self-driving cars following its diesel emissions cheating scandal.
"I can assure you that Ducati belongs to the Audi family " said  Stadler . "Ducati is the perfect implementation of our premium philosophy in the world of motorbikes."
While pushing the costly shift to zero-emissions and autonomous technologies  holding on to the profitable Ducati division and the lucrative Lamborghini brand has become more important   Stadler  said.
"Looking after a premium bouquet is as difficult as the work of a gardener "  Stadler  said. "Therefore I am pleased with every new flower  with every promising new branch " he added  predicting Lamborghini's sales would double on the back of its new sport-utility vehicle.
Separately   Stadler  said Audi will spend nearly half a billion euros over the next eight years on training staff for the digital age  with steps to develop as well as hire experts such as automotive app-designers and car robotics specialists.
answer:
Rupert Stadler


question:
"I assure you that we don't want bags of cash " Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testified on Tuesday during an appearance before the House Financial Services Committee. "We want to make sure that we can collect our necessary taxes and other things."
Last week  a top Treasury official wrote in a letter to lawmakers that the department is "consulting with law enforcement" about whether to maintain the guidance for depository institutions. Last month  a  Mnuchin  deputy testified at a Senate hearing that the banking document remains in effect while the administration weighs whether to revoke it.
At the Tuesday hearing   Mnuchin  confirmed that the department is "reviewing the existing guidance." But he clarified that he doesn't want to rescind it without having an alternate policy in place to address public safety concerns.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) told  Mnuchin  that simply deleting the banking memo "would really make it better for armed robbers in my community  because there'd be huge amounts of cash at the local marijuana dispensary."
"We specifically haven't taken it down  " Mnuchin  said of the 2014 memo. "We are looking at what Justice has done. And again  as I said  we're sensitive to the issue of dealing with the public safety issue and also making sure that the IRS and others have ways of collecting taxes without taking in cash."
answer:

Steven Mnuchin