WASHINGTON--A judge on Wednesday ordered an accused Russian agent jailed until her trial after U.S. prosecutors argued she has ties to Russian intelligence and could flee the United States.
Prosecutors have not charged the agent they identified as Maria Butina with espionage, but said she had been in contact with Russian intelligence operatives and kept contact information for several Russian agents.
During a preliminary hearing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the lead prosecutor in the case showed a photo of Butina in a Washington restaurant meeting with someone whom they believe is a Russian intelligence agent.
The 29-year-old former American University graduate student wore an orange prison jumpsuit in court and showed no emotion as her lawyer entered a not-guilty plea. Butina's next court appearance was scheduled for July 24.
The government also displayed a copy of a handwritten note uncovered by the FBI at Butina's apartment asking how to respond to an employment offer from a Russian intelligence agency, as well as a photo of her standing in front of the U.S. Capitol on the day Donald Trump was sworn in as president 18 months ago. "We do not believe she was here ... just to attend American University," said Erik Michael Kenerson, the lead prosecutor, adding that Butina was engaged in a "covert influence campaign."
The case coincides with an investigation by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller into whether members of Trump's 2016 election campaign coordinated with Russian officials. Butina's case, however, is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the National Security Division of the Justice Department.
Moscow denies U.S. allegations it interfered in the election and Trump denies any campaign collusion.
Butina's attorney, Robert Driscoll, said she is not a Russian agent and poses no flight risk. She was arrested on Sunday without warning. In a statement to reporters after the hearing, Driscoll declared his client is innocent.
"While we respect the court, we strongly disagree that there were no conditions of release short of incarceration to detain an innocent student before trial," he said.
