DONALD Trump’s former campaign chief Paul Manafort reportedly had secret talks with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, including around the time he started working for the then presidential candidate.

The Guardian reports that Manafort went to see Assange in 2013, 2015 and 2016, the latter when he was made campaign chief.

The paper reports that months after the March 2016 meeting between Manafort and Assange, WikiLeaks released a stash of Democratic emails stolen by Russian intelligence officers.

The news comes as special counsel Robert Mueller on Monday accused Manafort of violating his plea agreement by repeatedly lying to federal investigators.

Manafort denies lying and any involvement in the hacking of Democratic emails.

The torpedoing of Manafort’s plea deal could expose him to a lengthier prison sentence and potentially more criminal charges.

He remains jailed while awaiting his sentence.

He faces multiple years in prison.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump has gone on a Twitter rampage accusing Mr Mueller of “ruining lives.”

Mr Trump tweeted that he thinks the media “builds Bob Mueller up as a Saint.”

Mr Trump says that when the Mueller investigation ends it will become evident that people were treated “horribly” and “viciously” and that people’s lives are being ruined for refusing to lie.

Mr Trump apparently was referring to conservative author Jerome Corsi, who says he rejected a plea because it would have forced him to falsely admit that he lied to investigators.