WASHINGTON (AP) — The former chairman of the President Donald Trump's campaign has asked a judge in Washington to dismiss the criminal charges against him.

Paul Manafort faces a separate indictment in Virginia. He filed the motion to dismiss late Wednesday night.

His arguments largely mimic a lawsuit he filed in January challenging the authority of special counsel Robert Mueller to prosecute him.

Manafort's lawyers say Mueller exceeded his authority in prosecuting him since the allegations against him predate the 2016 presidential election. Mueller was appointed to investigate potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Motions to dismiss are commonly filed in criminal cases but very rarely granted by judges.