Trump's former campaign manager to surrender to FBI

US President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was told to surrender to federal authorities on Monday in the first charges stemming from a special counsel investigation of possible Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Manafort and his longtime business associate were indicted on 12 counts, including conspiracy against the US, money laundering and other charges, according to a federal special counsel statement.

The charges are the first from the investigation led by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed to look into alleged Russian interference to sway the election in favor of Trump.

The Times also reported that Manafort associate Rick Gates would also surrender to authorities.

File photo of Robert Mueller

Manafort, 68, served the Trump campaign from June to August 2016 before resigning amid reports he may have received millions of dollars in illegal payments from a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine.

Mueller has been investigating Manafort's financial and real estate dealings and his prior work for that political group, the Party of Regions, which backed former Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovich.

Investigators also examined potential money laundering by Manafort and other possible financial crimes, sources told Reuters.

Gates was a long-time business partner of Manafort and has ties to many of the same Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs.

He also served as deputy to Manafort during his brief tenure as Trump's campaign chairman.

Also on Monday, it was announced that George Papadopoulos had pleaded guilty on October 5 to making false statements to FBI agents, becoming the third adviser to Trump's campaign to face criminal charges.

Trump has denied any allegations of collusion with the Russians and called the probe "a witch hunt."

The Kremlin has also denied the allegations.

(REUTERS)