Ex-IMF leader pleads not guilty to sex assault

NEW YORK — Dominique Strauss-Kahn for­mally asserted his inno­cence Mon­day to charges he tried to rape a hotel maid, but the drama unfolded out­side the Man­hat­tan court­room as pro­test­ers jeered the for­mer Inter­na­tional Mon­e­tary Fund leader and lawyers for the house­keeper said she was eager to tes­tify despite a “smear cam­paign” against her.