The arraignment had been scheduled for yesterday and was delayed after investigators sought a warrant for a physical examination. Strauss-Kahn gave police permission to examine him for physical evidence of scratches and DNA from his accuser, according to Brafman.
The IMF "remains fully functioning and operational" following Strauss-Kahn's arrest, the Washington-based organization said in a statement yesterday. John Lipsky, the IMF's first deputy managing director, is serving as acting managing director, IMF spokesman William Murray said. Murray said Strauss-Kahn's trip to New York was private and that his hotel room was not paid for by the IMF.
President Barack Obama's spokesman, Jay Carney, said the administration would have no comment on the legal case.
'Fully Functional'
"The IMF remains fully functional, and we remain confident in the institution," Carney told reporters on Air Force One as the president traveled to a speech in Memphis, Tennessee.
Strauss-Kahn had been scheduled to attend a meeting of euro-area finance ministers in Brussels today. The ministers endorsed a 78 billion-euro ($110.8 billion) bailout for Portugal as they stepped up pressure on Greece to do more to win improved aid terms.
The IMF said today that its board will meet to consider the latest developments concerning Strauss-Kahn.
"For the fund, this is terrible news at a time when its leadership needs to portray stability, wisdom and confidence," Bessma Momani, a professor in at the University of Waterloo in Canada specializing in the IMF and its policies, said in an e- mail.
The alleged assault occurred on May 14 when the woman entered Strauss-Kahn's $3,000-a-night suite, where he had been staying since the day before, New York police said. Strauss-Kahn is alleged to have emerged from a bathroom naked and attempted to forcibly have sex with the maid, New York Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said. The complaint says the alleged assault occurred around noon.
First Class