Mueller Accuses Manafort of Attempting to Tamper With Witnesses - Reports

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team of prosecutors have claimed that President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort attempted to contact witnesses by phone via an intermediary and by means of encrypted messages in a federal tax and money laundering case, the New York Times reported, citing the court documents.

Two witnesses reportedly submitted texts to the FBI. In addition, the prosecutors have also asked the court to reconsider Manafort's house arrest and send him to jail in light of the new accusations, according to the newspaper.

Mueller has charged Manafort with making false statements, money-laundering conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for work he did for the Ukrainian government.

The special counsel is also probing allegations that Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election, as well as accusations that Trump's campaign team colluded with Moscow to affect the outcome of the vote.

Russian officials have repeatedly denied allegations of interference, calling the accusations absurd. Trump has also denied any collusion between himself and the Kremlin and has called Mueller's investigation a witch hunt.