International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was denied bail on Monday on charges he attempted to rape a hotel maid in New York City. Until this week, Strauss-Kahn was seen as a front-runner for the French presidency. Strauss-Kahn faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. He is now being held at the New York City prison on Rikers Island. Strauss-Kahn’s attorney spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.

Benjamin Brafman, Attorney: “We believe and will prove in our judgment that Mr. Strauss-Kahn is innocent of these charges. We think this case is very defensible. We do not believe he has any intention of ever fleeing the jurisdiction. His principal intention is to try and clear his name and reestablish his good name. So we are disappointed, but this case has just begun.”

Some supporters of Strauss-Kahn in France have questioned whether he is being set up by his political opponents. On Monday, a French writer came forward to say that Dominique Strauss-Kahn attempted to rape her nearly a decade ago.