US prosecutors have raised the possibility that an expected star witness may not testify against US President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort even as the judge tried to rein in their portrayal of Manafort's lavish lifestyle.
The second day of Manafort's trial, the first stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 14-month investigation of Russia's role in the 2016 US election, was overshadowed by Trump calling for an end to the probe with some Democrats accusing Trump of obstructing justice.
Manafort's consulting work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine that earned him $US60 million took the spotlight in Wednesday's testimony in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, outside Washington.
Prosecutors questioned veteran political consultant Daniel Rabin about the work he did for Manafort and told the court it expects to rest its case next week.
Manafort, 69, is charged with tax fraud, bank fraud and failing to report foreign bank accounts. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Rick Gates, Manafort's former business partner who pleaded guilty to making false statements after being indicted by Mueller, was expected to be a star government witness.
US District Judge T.S. Ellis asked the prosecution if they will have Gates testify.
"He may testify in this case, he may not," said prosecutor Uzo Asonye, a day after the defence told jurors its strategy centres on discrediting Gates as an untruthful embezzler.
When the judge asked Asonye for a clarification, Asonye said prosecutors are constantly evaluating the need to call a particular witness.
Prosecutors have portrayed Manafort as a tax cheat who hid money in offshore accounts, and lied to borrow millions more against real estate in a bid to maintain an extravagant lifestyle once the work dried up.
To hammer this home, the prosecution called Maximillian Katzman, of New York's elite custom clothier Alan Couture, who said Manafort was one of his top customers and paid with international wire transfers.
Prosecution lawyer Greg Andres reviewed how much Manafort spent each year on clothing, including $US440,160 in 2013 alone. Ellis interrupted Andres to say, "The government doesn't want to prosecute somebody because they wear nice clothes, right?"
With the jury out of the room, the judge complained about prosecutors' efforts to show that Manafort's life was luxurious and blocked them from showing one document on home renovations.
"Mr Manafort is not on trial for having a lavish lifestyle," Ellis said.
When questioning witnesses who provided services to Manafort, prosecutors showed invoices that appeared to have been falsified as they sought to document the fraud charges.
Ellis chastised both sides for using the word "oligarch," saying it has negative connotations and could give jurors the impression Manafort was "consorting and being paid by people who are criminals."
Trump repeatedly has sought to discredit Mueller's investigation, which is also looking into whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow and whether the president has unlawfully sought to obstruct the probe.
The Republican president wrote on Twitter, "This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," adding that Mueller's team is a "disgrace to USA."
In another tweet referring to 1920s Chicago mobster Alphonse "Al" Capone, Trump wrote, "Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and 'Public Enemy Number One,' or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing?"
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