Trump to plead not guilty in revised 2020 election interference indictment
Former US President Donald Trump has announced Tuesday that he will plead not guilty to criminal charges in a revised indictment accusing him of obstructing the results of the 2020 presidential election.
In a court filing, Trump stated, “I, President Donald J. Trump, the above-named defendant…do hereby waive my right to be present at arraignment and I authorize my attorneys to enter a plea of not guilty on my behalf to each and every count of the superseding indictment.”
Last week, US Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment that narrowed the scope of the allegations following a recent Supreme Court ruling on immunity.
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While the original four charges against Trump remain, certain allegations, including those related to attempts to use the Justice Department to back Trump’s false claims of election fraud, have been removed.
The changes follow the Supreme Court’s decision last month granting Trump substantial immunity from prosecution on election subversion charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, but not actions he took as a candidate.
Prosecutors and Trump’s legal team are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday for a hearing to discuss the next steps following the Supreme Court’s ruling on immunity.