Accused operative asks judge to toss indictment
Accused Russian operative Maria Butina asked a judge to dismiss a U.S. indictment charging her with acting as an unregistered agent of the country and appealed an order denying her release from custody.
She made the requests in a filing in federal court that was rejected by the clerk because of a technical flaw, according to records made available Friday.
A magistrate judge in Washington denied the 29-year-old Butina’s request July 18 for a bail bond, saying there were “no conditions or combination of conditions” that would ensure she would appear for trial.
Butina pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and operating as an agent.
SINGAPORE — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that while there’s “still a ways to go,” the United States remains “confident” in North Korea’s commitment to denuclearize.
Pompeo is attending an Asian security forum with North Korea’s foreign minister. He met Friday with Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister.
His comments Friday in Singapore came after the White House announced Thursday that President Donald Trump had received a new letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and responded quickly with a letter of his own.
Pompeo has taken the lead in negotiations with the North. He has traveled to Pyongyang three times since April and accompanied Trump to the summit.
He will be in the same room Saturday as his North Korean counterpart at the Association of South East Asian Nations annual regional forum. A separate meeting between the two is possible but has not been confirmed, according to the State Department.
“Chairman Kim made a commitment to denuclearize,” Pompeo told reporters accompanying him to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “The world demanded that (he) do so