WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A lawyer with ties to former Trump campaign officials was charged Tuesday with making false statements, according to a court filing.

Attorney Alex van der Zwaan was charged with making "materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations" to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 presidential elections.

London-based Van der Zwaan allegedly lied about his last communication with Richard Gates, a former Trump campaign adviser, and deleted emails that had been requested by Mueller's office.

According to the released document, Van der Zwaan last spoke with "Person A" in September 2016, but told investigators that his last communication with "Person A" was in 2014 and purposefully hid or deleted the records of contact.

The indictment will help Mueller's office build a stronger case against Gates, whom the office had indicted last year.

Along with Gates, Mueller's office has also indicted Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager.?