Lawyers for Russian company Concord Management and Consulting, LLC, formally entered a ?not guilty? plea in federal court Monday in a case special counsel Robert Mueller probably never thought would happen.
Mueller generated headlines with the February indictment, safe in the knowledge the 13 Russians were beyond U.S. jurisdiction. Therefore, there would be no trial ? only sensational Russian collusion accusations.
Mueller may now have to try the case, and Concord?s lawyers have put the special counsel on notice. The Russian company?s lawyers intend to invoke ?discovery? to obtain U.S. intelligence about what they knew of Russian activities.
In starting Wednesday?s trial, Eric A. Dubelier, a Reed Smith law partner, entered a ?not guilty? plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He also repeated his client?s interest for a ?speedy trial.?
McCarthy called Mueller?s entire indictment an ?unforced error.?
?One thing you never want to do is to indict in a case that you?re not prepared to try,? McCarthy said.
Mueller tried to delay Wednesday?s hearing and floated a claim Concord had not been properly served notice.
?Until the Court has an opportunity to determine if Concord was properly served, it would be inadvisable to conduct an initial appearance and arraignment at which important rights will be communicated and a plea entertained,? Mueller?s lawyers filed in federal court.
But Concord opposed the motion. ?The Special Counsel is not entitled to special rules and is required like the Attorney General to follow the rules of the Court,? Dubelier stated in his response to Mueller.
U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich agreed with Concord and rejected Mueller?s request for a delay in the trial without comment, which led to Wednesday?s arraignment.
Concord wants a ?speedy trial? as provided by federal law, the company?s lawyers also repeated Wednesday. The case will resume July 9.
