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Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Witness Tampering

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The former Trump campaign chairman allegedly sent encrypted messages in order to encourage potential witnesses to lie to investigators.

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Yuri Gripas/Reuters

Special counsel Robert Mueller on Monday accused former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of witness tampering. In a new court filing, Mueller said Manafort and an unnamed longtime associate “repeatedly contacted” two individuals “in an effort to secure materially false testimony.” Manafort, therefore, “violated the conditions of his release,” the court filing states. The former Trump campaign chief had been under house arrest and, according to the filing, was sending encrypted messages in order to “tamper with potential witnesses” and encourage them to lie to investigators.