A U.S. federal judge has proposed a May trial date for President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, who was recently indicted on a string of charges that included conspiracy to launder money.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson set a Monday hearing to consider the proposed trial date of May 7 for both Manafort and his right-hand man and former Trump campaign adviser, Rick Gates.
Both men were indicted as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
The judge also ordered Manafort and Gates to remain under house arrest, rejecting their arguments for less stringent bail conditions.
In addition, Jackson warned the pair's attorneys not to speak about the case outside court.
"This is a criminal trial and not a public relations campaign," Jackson said.
Manafort and Gates were indicted on 12 counts that included conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, being an unregistered agent of a foreign principal and making false statements. The allegations do not include collusion with Russia during the presidential campaign.
The two could face decades in prison if convicted, and both have pleaded not guilty to all charges. They've been placed under house arrest and released on multimillion-dollar bonds.
The indictment against both men, the first charges brought by Mueller, was approved by a federal grand jury and unsealed Monday after Manafort and Gates turned themselves in to the FBI.
