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Lawyers for Concord Management and Consulting entered a plea of "not guilty" Wednesday on behalf of one of the Russian entities Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin
, known as Putin's chef, controls Concord.
The Hill: According to the February indictment, Prigozhin and companies controlled by him, including Concord Management and Concord Catering, played a significant role in funding and overseeing the interference activities of the Internet Research Agency.
The indictment alleges that, by September 2016, the troll farm’s monthly budget for the operation exceeded 73 million Russian rubles, amounting to over $1.2 million.
Politico: Neither Prigozhin nor any officer or owner of Concord Management showed up at the U.S. district court in Washington for the brief arraignment hearing. However, two U.S. attorneys, Eric Dubelier and Kate Seikaly of law firm Reed Smith, represented the company.
"We waive formal reading of the indictment and enter a plea of not guilty and exercise our right to a speedy trial," Dubelier told U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey.
Prosecutors had raised concerns about whether the lawyers could appear for the firm without accepting a formal summons in the case, but Harvey said federal court rules permit a corporation to appear through a lawyer.
The U.S. court appearance by Concord Management seems to be
a legal gambit to force Mueller to turn over reams of evidence in the case without being able to lay hands on the individual defendants including Prigozhin. Some lawyers believe prosecutors could drop the case against that firm and two other companies in order to avoid disclosing sensitive information about how the investigation unfolded.
Prosecutors last week asked that the arraignment be delayed by more than a month, but U.S. District Court
Judge Dabney Friedrich rejected that request. (...)
Harvey formally advised Dubelier that the company could face a fine of up to $500,000 or up to twice the financial damage involved if convicted on the single felony count it faces: conspiracy to defraud the United States.
The magistrate also said the company has the right to remain silent. (...)
Harvey set a May 16 hearing for lawyers on both sides to appear before Friedrich, a Trump appointee who is the newest jurist on the bench of the U.S. district court in Washington.
The Hill: The judge scheduled status hearings for updates on the case for May 16 and July 9.
Russian firm pleads not guilty in Mueller election case (Politico)
Russian firm linked to ‘Putin’s chef’ pleads not guilty in Mueller probe (The Hill)
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