Washington (CNN) Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has denied ever meeting Julian Assange, following a report he had met with the WikiLeaks founder at least three times in previous years.

On Tuesday, The Guardian reported that Manafort had secretly met several times with Assange inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, including around the time he was made a top figure in the Trump campaign. The Guardian, citing sources, said Manafort had met with Assange in 2013, 2015 and in the spring of 2016.

Manafort responded to The Guardian's report by calling it "totally false and deliberately libelous."

"I have never met Julian Assange or anyone connected to him," Manafort said in a statement. "I have never been contacted by anyone connected to Wikileaks, either directly or indirectly. I have never reached out to Assange or Wikileaks on any matter. We are considering all legal options against the Guardian who proceeded with this story even after being notified by my representatives that it was false."

The newspaper said it is unclear "why Manafort wanted to see Assange and what was discussed."

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