Cole Tomas Allen, 31, has been charged with attempting to assassinate US president Donald Trump at the April dinner.
(Cole Allen, 31, is pleading not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate the president, assault on a federal officer and firearms offences. Mr Allen is accused of trying to storm a security checkpoint while armed at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where US President Donald Trump was in attendance.
The defendant 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. Share article The man accused of opening fire at a Washington dinner attended by Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges. California man Cole Allen, 31, did not speak in court as his attorney entered the plea on his behalf.
The charges include attempted assassination of the president, assault on a federal officer and firearms offences. Prosecutors allege Mr Allen fired a shotgun at a US Secret Service agent and stormed a security checkpoint in a foiled attack on Mr Trump and other members of his administration at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April.
Mr 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. Mr Allen wore an orange jumpsuit at the court appearance and was shackled at the waist during the brief proceeding. It was his first appearance in Washington federal court before the judge who will preside over the remainder of the case, US District Judge Trevor McFadden.
The hearing came a week after a different judge apologised to Mr Allen for his treatment in a local Washington DC jail, which included being placed on suicide precautions and isolated from other inmates. The proceeding previewed the next major legal battle in the case, Mr Allen's attempt to have acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and US Attorney Jeanine Pirro disqualified from the case because they were present at the dinner and may have been among his alleged targets.
Mr Allen's lawyer, Eugene Ohm, said the defence is likely to seek recusal of the entire US Attorney's Office in Washington, which Ms Pirro leads, because of her friendship with Mr Trump and status as a potential victim.
"It is wholly inappropriate for victims of an alleged event like this to be individually prosecuting the case," Mr Ohm said. Ms Pirro previously told CNN in an interview that "my ability to prosecute this case has nothing to do with my being there. "
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