WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Special Counsel Robert Mueller has filed several new charges against former Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates.
The 32-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Virginia on Thursday accuses Manafort and Gates of tax evasion and bank fraud.
Manafort previously served as chairman of President Donald Trump's campaign, while Gates was a top adviser to the campaign.
The indictment includes sixteen counts related to false individual income tax returns, seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts, five counts of bank fraud conspiracy, and four counts of bank fraud.
Manafort and Gates allegedly laundered more than $30 million, dramatically understated their income on federal tax returns and fraudulently secured more than $20 million in loans.
Last year, Manafort and Gates were charged with money laundering and acting as unregistered foreign agents in their lobbying work for a pro-Russia party in Ukraine.
The charges are unrelated to Mueller's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, but the special counsel has jurisdiction to pursue other crimes uncovered during the probe.
In a statement responding to the news of the latest indictment, Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni denied the charges.
'Paul Manafort is innocent of the allegations set out in the newly filed indictments and he is confident that he will be acquitted of all charges,' Maloni said.
White House special counsel Ty Cobb declined to comment on the indictment, noting that none of the charges pertain to the campaign or the White House.
The latest indictment may increase pressure on Gates, who is reportedly negotiating a plea deal that includes cooperation with Mueller's investigation.
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