WASHINGTON (CN) – One of three Russian companies indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller asked a federal judge Monday to toss the lone conspiracy charge it faces, claiming there is no law against conspiring to interfere in a U.S. election.
Reed Smith attorney Eric Dubelier said the indictment fails to allege that Concord Management and Consulting LLC committed a conspiracy to defraud that interferes with lawful government functions.
"There is no federal law prohibiting 'interference' in a U.S. election," the 57-page motion says. "Nor is there any federal law making it a crime to conspire to do so."
Mueller's team has accused Concord, which is owned by Russian oligarch and Putin confidant Yevgeney Prigozhin, of funding a Russian troll farm that supported the candidacy of President Donald Trump during the 2016 election.
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.