Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager, pleads not guilty; trial set for Sept. 17

Kevin Johnson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Manafort pleads not guilty to new Russia charges President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman entered a plea of not guilty as he faces charges he acted as an unregistered foreign agent and directed an international money-laundering conspiracy. His plea came at a brief hearing. (Feb. 28)

WASHINGTON – Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chief, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a vast money laundering conspiracy and fraud charges as a federal judge set trial for Sept. 17.

Manafort appeared for the first time in federal court since his campaign deputy Rick Gates pleaded guilty Friday to related charges and agreed to cooperate with the government’s prosecution of his longtime business partner.

Manafort was required to enter a new plea to the revamped five-count indictment issued Friday.

The indictment alleged that Manafort had secretly enlisted a group of “former European politicians,” including a former European chancellor to advocate on behalf of the pro-Russian faction Manafort represented in Ukraine.

Prosecutors have asserted that Manafort wired the unnamed officials more than 2 million euros from his off-shore accounts.

The new indictment, replacing the government’s October filing, dropped four charges that Manafort failed to register ownership of foreign bank accounts, though prosecutors said the accounts still form the basis of a criminal conspiracy.

Gates pleaded guilty Friday to charges that he conspired to defraud the United States by hiding money that he and Manafort earned while working in Ukraine.

He also pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during a meeting with agents earlier this month.

Gates acknowledged that he lied about what was said at a 2013 meeting between Manafort and an unnamed member of Congress.

Manafort also is slated to be arraigned Friday in Alexandria, Va., on a separate charge of bank fraud, arising out of the same investigation managed by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller, who is overseeing the government's far-flung inquiry into Russia's interference in the 2016 elections.

Before the start of Wednesday's brief hearing, U.S. District Judge Amy Jackson offered condolences for the recent death of Manafort's father-in-law, Joseph Bond.

Jackson loosened travel restrictions related to Manafort's bail agreement so that he could attend funeral services in New York earlier this week.

If there are no delays, Manafort would stand trial during the heat of the mid-term election cycle.

"The government is ready to go to trial," prosecutor Greg Andres told Berman, adding that it favored a date "as soon as possible."

With a separate trial looming on the charges in Alexandria, known for handling cases with dispatch, Berman warned that "the burden is going to fall heaviest on the defense" as attorney Kevin Downing prepares to fight charges in two jurisdictions.

Berman also warned Manafort and Downing against releasing additional public statements about the case that could violate a strict gag order the judge had imposed after the first charges were filed in October.

Following Gates' guilty plea Friday, Manafort issued a statement through spokesman Jason Maloni, asserting "my innocence."

"I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence," Manafort said. "For reasons yet to surface he chose to do otherwise. This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled up charges contained in the indictments against me.”