WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman is maintaining his innocence as he faces charges he acted as an unregistered foreign agent and directed an international money-laundering conspiracy.
Paul Manafort’s formal plea of not guilty came Wednesday during a brief hearing in Washington.
It was his first court appearance since his co-defendant and longtime business associate, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors.
During the hearing, Judge Amy Berman Jackson reprimanded Manafort for making a public statement about Gates’ plea. The judge said it violated her gag order. The judge also set a Sept. 17 trial date for Manafort.
Manafort had previously pleaded not guilty in the case but prosecutors for special counsel Robert Mueller brought a second indictment last week, requiring him to formally enter a second plea.
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