US President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in prison Thursday for tax crimes and bank fraud.

It was the stiffest sentence yet given to an associate of the president in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling -- but significantly lighter than many expected for the 69-year-old political consultant.

In a rebuff to Mueller's call for stiff punishment, the judge called the official guidelines for a prison sentence of 19 to 24 years "excessive."

But Manafort still faces sentencing in a second case in Washington next week, where the maximum penalty is 10 years and the judge has appeared more sympathetic to prosecutors.&nbsp;

The charges involved Manafort's work for 10 years on behalf of Moscow-allied politicians in Ukraine, and nothing related to the 2016 election -- a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lawyers-for-former-trump-campaign-chief-paul-manafort-argue-for-leniency-200653">n issue he argued in asking the court for leniency</a>.

Prosecutors alleged that Manafort used offshore bank accounts in Cyprus to hide more than $55 million from Ukrainian politicians from the tax authorities.

He is one of six top advisors and associates of Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign to be charged in the Mueller investigation.

During Manafort's trial, much of the damaging testimony against him was provided by his former deputy Rick Gates, who is awaiting sentencing after reaching a plea agreement with the Special Counsel's office.

Besides Manafort and Gates, four other former Trump associates face charges or have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the Mueller investigation.

Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials and is awaiting sentencing.

Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen is to begin serving a three-year prison sentence on May 6 for fraud, tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and lying to Congress.

George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and was sentenced to two weeks in prison.

Another Trump advisor, Roger Stone, awaits trial.

US President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in prison Thursday for tax crimes and bank fraud. It was the stiffest sentence yet given to an associate of the president in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling -- but significantly lighter than many expected for the 69-year-old political consultant.

US President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in prison Thursday for tax crimes and bank fraud. It was the stiffest sentence yet given to an associate of the president in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling -- but significantly lighter than many expected for the 69-year-old political consultant. In a rebuff to Mueller's call for stiff punishment, the judge called the official guidelines for a prison sentence of 19 to 24 years "excessive." But Manafort still faces sentencing in a second case in Washington next week, where the maximum penalty is 10 years and the judge has appeared more sympathetic to prosecutors. The charges involved Manafort's work for 10 years on behalf of Moscow-allied politicians in Ukraine, and nothing related to the 2016 election -- an issue he argued in asking the court for leniency. Prosecutors alleged that Manafort used offshore bank accounts in Cyprus to hide more than $55 million from Ukrainian politicians from the tax authorities. He is one of six top advisors and associates of Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign to be charged in the Mueller investigation. During Manafort's trial, much of the damaging testimony against him was provided by his former deputy Rick Gates, who is awaiting sentencing after reaching a plea agreement with the Special Counsel's office. Besides Manafort and Gates, four other former Trump associates face charges or have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the Mueller investigation. Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials and is awaiting sentencing. Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen is to begin serving a three-year prison sentence on May 6 for fraud, tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and lying to Congress. George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and was sentenced to two weeks in prison. Another Trump advisor, Roger Stone, awaits trial.

Trump ex-campaign chief Paul Manafort sentenced to 47 months in prison for tax crimes, bank fraud

The New York Times has reported that a Donald Trump official asked an Israeli company for proposals to disrupt the campaigns of Trump's Republican rivals campaigns and that of Hillary Clinton.&nbsp;

The Times report however added that there was no evidence to prove the Trump campaign made use of the proposals.&nbsp;

It added that these efforts seemed unrelated to Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential elections. US intelligence agencies have said they have come to the conclusion that Russia meddled in the elections, trying to help Trump beat his Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.&nbsp;

Trump as president has been astonishingly soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has also constantly said there was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-dubs-robert-muellers-russia-probe-illegal-166051">no collusion</a> between his presidential campaign and Russia.&nbsp;

The allegations of collusion with Russia are being investigated by the Special Counsel Robert S Mueller who has so far indicted over 30 former Trump officials.&nbsp;

One of those officials is Rick Gates, Trump's deputy campaign manager, and the man the New York Times report accuses of asking the Israeli company Psy-Group for the proposals.&nbsp;

The Times reported that Gates sought a proposal to use bogus personas to target and sway delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention by attacking Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's main opponent at the time.

Another proposal described opposition research and "complementary intelligence activities" about Clinton, according to the report.

A third proposal by the company Psy-Group, staffed by former Israeli intelligence operatives, outlined a plan to help Trump using social media to reinforce divisions among rivals, the report said.

Mueller's team has obtained copies of the proposals and questioned Psy-Group, the Times added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)

The New York Times has reported that a Donald Trump official asked an Israeli company for proposals to disrupt the campaigns of Trump's Republican rivals campaigns and that of Hillary Clinton.

The New York Times has reported that a Donald Trump official asked an Israeli company for proposals to disrupt the campaigns of Trump's Republican rivals campaigns and that of Hillary Clinton. The Times report however added that there was no evidence to prove the Trump campaign made use of the proposals. It added that these efforts seemed unrelated to Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential elections. US intelligence agencies have said they have come to the conclusion that Russia meddled in the elections, trying to help Trump beat his Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump as president has been astonishingly soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has also constantly said there was no collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia. The allegations of collusion with Russia are being investigated by the Special Counsel Robert S Mueller who has so far indicted over 30 former Trump officials. One of those officials is Rick Gates, Trump's deputy campaign manager, and the man the New York Times report accuses of asking the Israeli company Psy-Group for the proposals. The Times reported that Gates sought a proposal to use bogus personas to target and sway delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention by attacking Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's main opponent at the time. Another proposal described opposition research and "complementary intelligence activities" about Clinton, according to the report. A third proposal by the company Psy-Group, staffed by former Israeli intelligence operatives, outlined a plan to help Trump using social media to reinforce divisions among rivals, the report said. Mueller's team has obtained copies of the proposals and questioned Psy-Group, the Times added. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump official sought Israeli help to disrupt rival campaigns: New York Times

A former senior official in Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 presidential campaign, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators, and he is cooperating with a federal probe into Russia&#39;s role in the election.

Gates, who was a deputy campaign manager for Trump, is being investigated by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which is probing alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. election.

Gates had been potentially facing decades in prison on much more serious charges, including bank fraud and conspiracy to launder money. Under the charges he pleaded guilty to, he faces a maximum sentence of nearly six years.

Prosecutors said they could ask the judge for a reduction in Gates&#39; sentence based on the extent of his cooperation with Mueller&#39;s probe.

The plea increases pressure on Paul Manafort, who was Trump&#39;s campaign manager for five months in 2016, to also seek a plea deal. However, Manafort said in a statement issued after Gates&#39; plea deal that he maintained his innocence.

Cooperation by Gates, and potentially by Manafort at a later stage, could provide a rich vein of information for Mueller, whose Russia probe includes looking into whether Trump&#39;s campaign colluded with Moscow to interfere in the election.

Gates&#39; plea deal appeared to be partially motivated by his concern over legal costs and the strain on his family.

Prosecutors allege that Manafort, with Gates&#39; assistance, laundered more than $30 million and duped banks into lending money. It says the pair used funds from secret offshore accounts to enjoy a life of luxury.

None of the charges to date against Gates or Manafort have made reference to any connection with Russian meddling in the 2016 election or possible collusion. Russia has denied the accusations of interference. Trump has said there was no collusion, and has also denied any attempt to obstruct Mueller&#39;s probe.

Mueller, appointed by the Department of Justice last year, has a broad brief that allows him to look into any wrongdoing uncovered in the course of his investigation.

Campaign role

While it was not clear what Gates might be able to reveal to investigators, he was on Trump&#39;s campaign team when his then-boss Manafort attended a meeting in June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York between senior campaign aides and a Russian lawyer.

Mueller, according to sources familiar with the investigation, has taken a keen interest in whether Democrats&#39; emails allegedly hacked by Russian intelligence and made public six days after that meeting were discussed then.

Gates helped run the campaign&#39;s day-to-day operations, played a key role at the Republican National Convention where Trump was chosen as the party&#39;s nominee and accompanied Trump on campaign flights.

He stayed on in the campaign even after Manafort resigned in August 2016 amid a controversy over cash payments from Ukraine. After Trump&#39;s election win, Gates was on Trump&#39;s presidential transition team and his inaugural committee.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow sought to meddle in the campaign to tilt the vote in favor of Trump, including by hacking the emails of leading Democrats and distributing disinformation and propaganda online.

Gates and Manafort were first charged in October. On Thursday, Mueller piled up more pressure on the pair - filing a 32-count indictment against them that includes charges of bank fraud and lying on tax returns.

As part of the conspiracy charge, prosecutors say that Gates and Manafort lied to the Justice Department in September 2016, when they were asked whether they had acted as foreign agents in 2013 on behalf of Ukraine&#39;s pro-Russian government.

In the plea deal, Gates agreed that he lied to the investigators on Mueller&#39;s team on Feb. 1, about a 2013 meeting between Manafort, a senior lobbyist and an unnamed member of Congress who sits on a congressional subcommittee with jurisdiction over Ukraine.

Gates&#39; plea may push Manafort to trying to reach his own plea deal and cooperate with the probe, despite his protestations to the contrary, said Michael Padula, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice.

&quot;His ability to negotiate a deal that is favorable to him at this point given that his codefendant has already made a deal with the government will depend on what he can potentially offer the special counsel regarding their investigation into Russia collusion,&quot; Padula said.

The White House said on Friday that the latest charges against Manafort and Gates were unrelated to Trump.

&quot;This indictment has nothing to do with the White House or the president. As you know, we have been cooperative with the special counsel and as we continue to see, there&#39;s no evidence of collusion, no evidence of wrongdoing,&quot; Mercedes Schlapp, the White House strategic communications director, told Fox News Channel.

A court filing on Friday charged that between 2008 and 2017, Gates and Manafort devised a scheme to defraud the United States to obtain money and property by making false representations to banks and other financial institutions. Toward the end of that period they worked for Trump&#39;s campaign.

In March 2016, Manafort fraudulently obtained a loan for over $3 million on a Manhattan condominium, prosecutors say.

In a letter to relatives and close friends that was obtained by ABC News, Gates expressed concern that a long trial would take a heavy toll.

&quot;The reality of how long this legal process will likely take, the cost, and the circus-like atmosphere of an anticipated trial are too much. I will better serve my family moving forward by exiting this process,&quot; he wrote.

Gates, who has a young family and who has been under house arrest, has been peppering the court since last year with requests to travel, coach his children&#39;s sports teams and attend school functions.

Rick Gates, who was a deputy campaign manager for Donald Trump, is being investigated by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which is probing alleged Russian meddling in the US election

A former senior official in Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators, and he is cooperating with a federal probe into Russia's role in the election. Gates, who was a deputy campaign manager for Trump, is being investigated by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which is probing alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. election. Gates had been potentially facing decades in prison on much more serious charges, including bank fraud and conspiracy to launder money. Under the charges he pleaded guilty to, he faces a maximum sentence of nearly six years. Prosecutors said they could ask the judge for a reduction in Gates' sentence based on the extent of his cooperation with Mueller's probe. The plea increases pressure on Paul Manafort, who was Trump's campaign manager for five months in 2016, to also seek a plea deal. However, Manafort said in a statement issued after Gates' plea deal that he maintained his innocence. Cooperation by Gates, and potentially by Manafort at a later stage, could provide a rich vein of information for Mueller, whose Russia probe includes looking into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow to interfere in the election. Gates' plea deal appeared to be partially motivated by his concern over legal costs and the strain on his family. Prosecutors allege that Manafort, with Gates' assistance, laundered more than $30 million and duped banks into lending money. It says the pair used funds from secret offshore accounts to enjoy a life of luxury. None of the charges to date against Gates or Manafort have made reference to any connection with Russian meddling in the 2016 election or possible collusion. Russia has denied the accusations of interference. Trump has said there was no collusion, and has also denied any attempt to obstruct Mueller's probe. Mueller, appointed by the Department of Justice last year, has a broad brief that allows him to look into any wrongdoing uncovered in the course of his investigation. Campaign role While it was not clear what Gates might be able to reveal to investigators, he was on Trump's campaign team when his then-boss Manafort attended a meeting in June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York between senior campaign aides and a Russian lawyer. Mueller, according to sources familiar with the investigation, has taken a keen interest in whether Democrats' emails allegedly hacked by Russian intelligence and made public six days after that meeting were discussed then. Gates helped run the campaign's day-to-day operations, played a key role at the Republican National Convention where Trump was chosen as the party's nominee and accompanied Trump on campaign flights. He stayed on in the campaign even after Manafort resigned in August 2016 amid a controversy over cash payments from Ukraine. After Trump's election win, Gates was on Trump's presidential transition team and his inaugural committee. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow sought to meddle in the campaign to tilt the vote in favor of Trump, including by hacking the emails of leading Democrats and distributing disinformation and propaganda online. Gates and Manafort were first charged in October. On Thursday, Mueller piled up more pressure on the pair - filing a 32-count indictment against them that includes charges of bank fraud and lying on tax returns. As part of the conspiracy charge, prosecutors say that Gates and Manafort lied to the Justice Department in September 2016, when they were asked whether they had acted as foreign agents in 2013 on behalf of Ukraine's pro-Russian government. In the plea deal, Gates agreed that he lied to the investigators on Mueller's team on Feb. 1, about a 2013 meeting between Manafort, a senior lobbyist and an unnamed member of Congress who sits on a congressional subcommittee with jurisdiction over Ukraine. Gates' plea may push Manafort to trying to reach his own plea deal and cooperate with the probe, despite his protestations to the contrary, said Michael Padula, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice. "His ability to negotiate a deal that is favorable to him at this point given that his codefendant has already made a deal with the government will depend on what he can potentially offer the special counsel regarding their investigation into Russia collusion," Padula said. The White House said on Friday that the latest charges against Manafort and Gates were unrelated to Trump. "This indictment has nothing to do with the White House or the president. As you know, we have been cooperative with the special counsel and as we continue to see, there's no evidence of collusion, no evidence of wrongdoing," Mercedes Schlapp, the White House strategic communications director, told Fox News Channel. A court filing on Friday charged that between 2008 and 2017, Gates and Manafort devised a scheme to defraud the United States to obtain money and property by making false representations to banks and other financial institutions. Toward the end of that period they worked for Trump's campaign. In March 2016, Manafort fraudulently obtained a loan for over $3 million on a Manhattan condominium, prosecutors say. In a letter to relatives and close friends that was obtained by ABC News, Gates expressed concern that a long trial would take a heavy toll. "The reality of how long this legal process will likely take, the cost, and the circus-like atmosphere of an anticipated trial are too much. I will better serve my family moving forward by exiting this process," he wrote. Gates, who has a young family and who has been under house arrest, has been peppering the court since last year with requests to travel, coach his children's sports teams and attend school functions.

Former Trump aid pleads guilty in Russia probe

Federal investigators probing Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election charged President Donald Trump&#39;s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and another aide, Rick Gates, with money laundering on Monday.

A third former Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty in early October to lying to the FBI, it was announced on Monday.

It was a sharp escalation of U.S. Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller&#39;s five-month-old investigation into alleged Russian efforts to tilt the election in Trump&#39;s favour and into potential collusion by Trump aides.

Manafort, 68, a longtime Republican operative, and Gates were arraigned at a federal courthouse in Washington.

Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges against them in a 12-count indictment, ranging from money laundering to acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine&#39;s former pro-Russian government.

The judge ordered house arrest for both men, and set a $10 million unsecured bond for Manafort and a $5 million unsecured bond for Gates. With unsecured bonds, they are released without having to pay but will owe money if they fail to appear in court. There will be another hearing on Thursday.

The developments in the Mueller probe weighed on the U.S. dollar, which slipped 0.5 percent against a basket of currencies.

Mueller&#39;s investigation and others by congressional committees into alleged Russian efforts to influence the election have cast a shadow over Trump&#39;s first nine months in office.

Neither Trump nor his campaign was mentioned in the indictment against Manafort and Gates. The charges, some going back more than a decade, centre on Manafort&#39;s work for Ukraine.

The indictment includes accusations of conspiracy against the United States, failure to report foreign bank accounts to the U.S. government and conspiracy to launder money, a count that carries a 20-year maximum prison sentence.

A White House spokeswoman said the indictment had nothing to do with Trump or his campaign and showed no evidence of collusion between the campaign and Russia.

&quot;We&#39;ve been saying from Day One there&#39;s no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all,&quot; spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a news briefing.

Manafort&#39;s attorney, Kevin Downing said in a statement that there was no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government. Downing said Manafort&#39;s work for the Ukrainians ended in 2014, two years before he joined the Trump campaign.

Downing accused Mueller of using a &quot;novel&quot; legal theory to prosecute Manafort under a law requiring lobbyists to register with the Department of Justice when they are doing work for a foreign government.

Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago, said the charges against Manafort could put pressure on him to cooperate with the Russia investigation.

&quot;If I were the defence lawyer, I&#39;d be looking into cooperating,&rdquo; he said.

GUILTY PLEA

In a development directly related to Trump&#39;s 2016 election campaign, it emerged on Monday that Papadopoulos, a former campaign adviser, pleaded guilty earlier this month to making false statements to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.

Mueller&#39;s office said Papadopoulos lied to FBI agents about the timing of contact between him and a professor in London who claimed to have information that would hurt Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Papadopoulos, a little-known former foreign policy adviser in the campaign, made a plea bargain which stated that he has since &quot;met with the Government on numerous occasions to provide information and answer questions,&quot; according to a court document.

White House spokeswoman Sanders played down Papadopoulos&#39; campaign role, saying it was &quot;extremely limited&quot; and that he was a volunteer.

&quot;He asked to do things (and) he was basically pushed back or not responded to in any way,&quot; she said.

U.S. intelligence agencies say Russia interfered in the election, by hacking and releasing embarrassing emails and disseminating propaganda via social media to discredit Clinton.

Manafort ran the Trump campaign from June to August of 2016 before resigning amid reports he might have received millions of dollars in illegal payments from a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine.

Trump on Monday reiterated his frustration with the Mueller probe, which he has called &quot;a witch hunt.&quot; Moscow also denies the allegations.

&quot;Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren&#39;t Crooked Hillary &amp; the Dems the focus?????,&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to Clinton.

Mueller has been investigating Manafort&rsquo;s financial and real estate dealings and his prior work for a political group, the Party of Regions, which backed former pro-Kremlin Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich.

Both Manafort and Gates generated tens of millions of dollars of income from Ukraine work and laundered money through scores of U.S. and foreign entities to hide payments from American authorities, the indictment said.

They concealed from the United States their work and revenue as agents of Ukrainian political parties and used their wealth to lead a &quot;lavish lifestyle&quot; without paying taxes on the income, it said.

The indictment said Manafort owned properties in Manhattan; Brooklyn; the Hamptons; Arlington, Virginia, and elsewhere.

Prosecutors said Manafort spent almost $1 million on eight rugs in two years and more than $1.3 million on clothes from shops in Beverly Hills, California, and New York City. They also said he had been making payments on four Range Rovers and a Mercedes-Benz.

Gates was a longtime business partner of Manafort and has ties to Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs. He also served as deputy to Manafort during his brief tenure as Trump&#39;s campaign chairman.

Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer called for the Trump administration to avoid interfering with Mueller&#39;s probe.

&quot;The rule of law is paramount in America and the investigation must be allowed to proceed unimpeded. The president must not, under any circumstances, interfere with the special counsel&rsquo;s work in any way,&quot; Schumer said.

A third former Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty in early October to lying to the FBI, it was announced on Monday.

Federal investigators probing Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election charged President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and another aide, Rick Gates, with money laundering on Monday. A third former Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty in early October to lying to the FBI, it was announced on Monday. It was a sharp escalation of U.S. Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller's five-month-old investigation into alleged Russian efforts to tilt the election in Trump's favour and into potential collusion by Trump aides. Manafort, 68, a longtime Republican operative, and Gates were arraigned at a federal courthouse in Washington. Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges against them in a 12-count indictment, ranging from money laundering to acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine's former pro-Russian government. The judge ordered house arrest for both men, and set a $10 million unsecured bond for Manafort and a $5 million unsecured bond for Gates. With unsecured bonds, they are released without having to pay but will owe money if they fail to appear in court. There will be another hearing on Thursday. The developments in the Mueller probe weighed on the U.S. dollar, which slipped 0.5 percent against a basket of currencies. Mueller's investigation and others by congressional committees into alleged Russian efforts to influence the election have cast a shadow over Trump's first nine months in office. Neither Trump nor his campaign was mentioned in the indictment against Manafort and Gates. The charges, some going back more than a decade, centre on Manafort's work for Ukraine. The indictment includes accusations of conspiracy against the United States, failure to report foreign bank accounts to the U.S. government and conspiracy to launder money, a count that carries a 20-year maximum prison sentence. A White House spokeswoman said the indictment had nothing to do with Trump or his campaign and showed no evidence of collusion between the campaign and Russia. "We've been saying from Day One there's no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a news briefing. Manafort's attorney, Kevin Downing said in a statement that there was no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government. Downing said Manafort's work for the Ukrainians ended in 2014, two years before he joined the Trump campaign. Downing accused Mueller of using a "novel" legal theory to prosecute Manafort under a law requiring lobbyists to register with the Department of Justice when they are doing work for a foreign government. Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago, said the charges against Manafort could put pressure on him to cooperate with the Russia investigation. "If I were the defence lawyer, I'd be looking into cooperating,” he said. GUILTY PLEA In a development directly related to Trump's 2016 election campaign, it emerged on Monday that Papadopoulos, a former campaign adviser, pleaded guilty earlier this month to making false statements to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents. Mueller's office said Papadopoulos lied to FBI agents about the timing of contact between him and a professor in London who claimed to have information that would hurt Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Papadopoulos, a little-known former foreign policy adviser in the campaign, made a plea bargain which stated that he has since "met with the Government on numerous occasions to provide information and answer questions," according to a court document. White House spokeswoman Sanders played down Papadopoulos' campaign role, saying it was "extremely limited" and that he was a volunteer. "He asked to do things (and) he was basically pushed back or not responded to in any way," she said. U.S. intelligence agencies say Russia interfered in the election, by hacking and releasing embarrassing emails and disseminating propaganda via social media to discredit Clinton. Manafort ran the Trump campaign from June to August of 2016 before resigning amid reports he might have received millions of dollars in illegal payments from a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine. Trump on Monday reiterated his frustration with the Mueller probe, which he has called "a witch hunt." Moscow also denies the allegations. "Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????," Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to Clinton. Mueller has been investigating Manafort’s financial and real estate dealings and his prior work for a political group, the Party of Regions, which backed former pro-Kremlin Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich. Both Manafort and Gates generated tens of millions of dollars of income from Ukraine work and laundered money through scores of U.S. and foreign entities to hide payments from American authorities, the indictment said. They concealed from the United States their work and revenue as agents of Ukrainian political parties and used their wealth to lead a "lavish lifestyle" without paying taxes on the income, it said. The indictment said Manafort owned properties in Manhattan; Brooklyn; the Hamptons; Arlington, Virginia, and elsewhere. Prosecutors said Manafort spent almost $1 million on eight rugs in two years and more than $1.3 million on clothes from shops in Beverly Hills, California, and New York City. They also said he had been making payments on four Range Rovers and a Mercedes-Benz. Gates was a longtime business partner of Manafort and has ties to Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs. He also served as deputy to Manafort during his brief tenure as Trump's campaign chairman. Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer called for the Trump administration to avoid interfering with Mueller's probe. "The rule of law is paramount in America and the investigation must be allowed to proceed unimpeded. The president must not, under any circumstances, interfere with the special counsel’s work in any way," Schumer said.

Two former Trump aides charged in Russia probe, third pleads guilty

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Trump ex-campaign chief Paul Manafort sentenced to 47 months in prison for tax crimes, bank fraud

Trump official sought Israeli help to disrupt rival campaigns: New York Times

Former Trump aid pleads guilty in Russia probe

Two former Trump aides charged in Russia probe, third pleads guilty