Allen’s legal team challenges involvement of US Attorney Pirro, citing her friendship with Trump and role at the gala where shots were fired.

Save

Share

The man accused of trying to assassinate United States ⁠President Donald Trump at a White House reporters gala last month has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Cole Allen, 31, of California did not speak in court as ⁠his attorney Tezira Abe entered the plea on his behalf. The charges include attempted assassination of the president, assault on a federal officer and firearms offences.

Prosecutors alleged Allen fired a shotgun at a US Secret Service agent and stormed a security checkpoint in a foiled attack on Trump ‌and other members of his administration at the White House correspondents dinner.

Allen’s lawyers asked US District Judge Trevor McFadden to disqualify at least two top Department of Justice officials from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a potential conflict of interest.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and US Attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the event when Allen ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer, authorities said. Defence attorney Eugene Ohm said the defence likely would seek to disqualify Pirro’s entire office from involvement in the case.

McFadden didn’t rule from the bench on that question but asked Allen’s attorneys to elaborate on the possible scope of their recusal request.

Allen allegedly travelled to Washington by train, carrying a shotgun, pistol and knives, and booked a room in the Washington Hilton, where the April 25 dinner took place.

On Monday, Allen wore an orange jumpsuit and was shackled at the waist during the brief court proceeding. It was his first appearance in the Washington, DC, federal court before McFadden, who will preside over ⁠the remainder of the case.

A different ⁠judge last week apologised to Allen for his treatment in a Washington, DC, jail, which included being placed on suicide precautions and isolated from other inmates.

Allen’s other lawyer, Eugene Ohm, said the defence is likely to seek the recusal of the entire US Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC, which Pirro leads, because of her friendship with Trump and her status as a potential victim.

“It is wholly inappropriate ‌for victims of an alleged event like this to be individually prosecuting the case,” Ohm said.

Prosecutors are set to respond to the defence’s legal filing by May 22. Pirro previously ‌told ‌CNN in an interview that “my ability to prosecute this case has nothing to do with my being there [at the Hilton gala].”

Allen is scheduled to return to court on June 29.

Besides the attempted assassination count, Allen is also charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms counts. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of the attempted assassination charge alone.

Allen was placed on suicide watch after his arrest, but jail officials removed him from that status after several days. Allen’s attorneys complained that he had been unnecessarily confined in a padded room with constant lighting, repeatedly strip-searched and placed in restraints outside his cell.

Allen told FBI agents that he didn’t expect to survive the attack, which could help explain why he was deemed to be a possible suicide risk, a Justice Department prosecutor said.