Obtained by ABC News(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge denied Maria Butina’s motion for bond review at a hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C. on Monday, ruling that the alleged Russian agent will remain in jail pending trial.
Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, the federal district court judge overseeing Butina’s case, said she “cannot imagine a scenario where it is not possible” that Butina would flee the country if allowed to leave the Alexandria, Virginia, jail where she’s being held.
Butina, a 29-year-old Russian gun rights activist, was arrested in July and stands accused of developing a covert influence operation in the United States. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and failure to register as a foreign agent.
Butina’s attorney, Robert Driscoll, had hoped the court would agree to release his client from jail but instead walked away with a scolding from the judge in the form of a gag order.
Judge Chutkan said Driscoll had “overstepped” and “crossed the line” in his recent interviews with the media.
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