Manafort pleads not guilty to new charges in Russia probe

Washington D.C. [United States], Mar 01 (ANI): United States President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to a new indictment brought against him in the Russia investigation and will face trial in September.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson set Manafort's trial to start on September 17 in the US district court for the District of Columbia.

Manafort pleaded not guilty to a revised, five-count indictment in Washington.

He is scheduled to enter a second plea on Friday afternoon in federal court in Alexandria, where he faces 18 new and modified charges, reported the Washington Post.

Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating into the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, is dialling up the legal pressure on Manafort, who has not opted to cooperate with investigators.

Last week, Manafort's deputy and long time business partner, Richard Gates pleaded guilty to charges brought against him.

According to the report, in conjunction with Gates's plea, Mueller's team added tax evasion and bank fraud charges against Manafort, who already faced counts of conspiracy to launder more than $30 million, making false statements, failing to follow lobbying disclosure laws and working as an unregistered foreign agent.

However, Manafort, said in a statement, issued last week post Gates' plea deal, that he maintained his innocence. (ANI)