Manafort trial to begin as Trump calls for end to Russia investigation

The first trial in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference begins this week, as President Trump faces ongoing scrutiny of his cozy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has already pleaded not guilty to money laundering, bank fraud, conspiracy against the U.S., failure to register as a foreign agent, and lying to the FBI. Manafort is being tried in Virginia starting Wednesday, when jury selection begins, reports Bloomberg. His attorneys have argued that his charges have nothing to do with campaign work, and Trump has distanced himself from Manafort, saying he only worked with him for a "very short period of time."

Earlier this month, Mueller indicted 12 Russian nationals and charged them with hacking Democratic Party computers to influence the 2016 election. Other people indicted by the Mueller investigation, like former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, have pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and are cooperating with Mueller's team.

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Trump on Monday called for an end to the probe, claiming it was "discredited" due to campaign surveillance by the FBI, though The Washington Post reports that the counterintelligence investigation began months before the 2016 surveillance application. Read more at Bloomberg.