Judge T.S. Ellis III has emerged as much a character as any lawyer, witness or juror in the courtroom for the tax and bank fraud trial of Paul Manafort. He’s quibbled and quarreled with lawyers, needled prosecutors over “extraneous” evidence and at times irked witnesses.

On Wednesday, lawyers moved through questioning of Rick Gates, an FBI accountant and an IRS agent. As dry testimony dominated the day, the judge’s personality once again came into full display.