Trump pleads not guilty of plotting to overturn election loss
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[August 04, 2023]
By Andrew Goudsward, Sarah N. Lynch and Jacqueline Thomsen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to
charges he orchestrated a plot to try to overturn his 2020 election loss
in what U.S. prosecutors call an unprecedented effort by the
then-president to undermine the pillars of American democracy.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who has overseen the federal investigation,
looked on from the courtroom's front row as Trump entered his plea
before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya.
"Not guilty," Trump said, emphasizing the first word.
The arraignment, lasting about half an hour, took place in a Washington
courthouse half a mile (1 km) from the U.S. Capitol, the building
Trump's supporters stormed on Jan. 6, 2021, to try to stop Congress from
certifying his defeat.
It was the third time Trump has pleaded not guilty since April, with
months of pretrial legal wrangling expected against the backdrop of the
2024 presidential campaign, in which Trump is the front-runner for the
Republican nomination to take on Democratic President Joe Biden.
In a 45-page indictment on Tuesday, Smith accused Trump and his allies
of promoting false claims the election was rigged, pressuring state and
federal officials to alter the results and assembling fake slates of
electors to try to wrest electoral votes from Biden.
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Trump, 77, faces four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S.,
to deprive citizens of their voting rights and to obstruct an official
proceeding. The most serious charge carries a maximum prison sentence of
20 years.
The next court date in the case will be Aug. 28 before U.S. District
Judge Tanya Chutkan, though Upadhyaya said Trump would not be required
to attend. Chutkan intends to set a trial date at that time, Upadhyaya
said.
Trump's lawyer, John Lauro, registered an early objection, arguing that
the magnitude of the case and the amount of materials involved could
require a lot of time.
Prosecutor Thomas Windom countered that the case should proceed as
normal, including with a speedy trial.
Trump was released without travel restrictions. One of his conditions of
release is that he not discuss the case with any witnesses unless
accompanied by his lawyers.
Trump has portrayed the indictment, as well as the other criminal cases
against him, as a "witch hunt" intended to derail his White House
campaign.
'SAD DAY FOR AMERICA'
"This is a very sad day for America," Trump told reporters after the
hearing before boarding his private plane to return to his Bedminster,
New Jersey, golf club. "This is a persecution of a political opponent."
Trump's first of two impeachments, in 2019, was for pressuring Ukraine
to investigate Biden, his Democratic rival. Senate Republicans acquitted
him of those charges.
Trump walked into the courtroom wearing a red tie and navy blue suit
with an American flag lapel pin. About 10 Secret Service agents stood
against the wall behind him.
He appeared to glance occasionally at Smith, who entered with his own
security detail and the prosecutors assigned to the case.
When the court deputy read aloud the name of the case - "United States
of America v. Donald J. Trump" - the former president shook his head in
disapproval.
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who
was arraigned on federal charges related to attempts to overturn his
2020 election defeat, faces reporters as he departs Washington in
this still image taken from video at Reagan Washington National
Airport in nearby Arlington, Virginia, U.S., August 3, 2023. Pool
via REUTERS
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Aug/04/images/ads/current/debbiesfloral_lda_060123.png)
Trump previously pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he
retained classified documents after leaving office and New York
state charges that he falsified documents in connection with hush
money payments to a porn star.
He may soon face more charges in Georgia, where a state prosecutor
is investigating his attempts to overturn the election there. The
Atlanta-area prosecutor, Fani Willis, has said she will file
indictments by mid-August.
TRUMP STILL THE REPUBLICAN FRONT-RUNNERTrump's legal woes have done
little to damage his status as Republican front-runner. Forty-seven
percent of Republican voters said they would support him in a new
Reuters/Ipsos poll taken after Tuesday's indictment, extending his
lead over second-place Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 13%.
Three-quarters of Republicans said they agreed that the charges were
"politically motivated," showing that Trump's claim that he is the
victim of political persecution resonates with his base.
That said, the same poll found about half of Republicans said they
would not vote for Trump if he were convicted of a felony, according
to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, underscoring the potential risks his
legal entanglements pose for his candidacy.
Most prominent Republicans, including several competing with Trump
for the White House, have either defended him or offered muted
criticism, instead accusing the Biden administration of weaponizing
the Justice Department against a campaign foe.
Biden declined to comment on the arraignment.
Many of the allegations in Tuesday's indictment had been
well-documented in media reports and the investigation conducted by
a U.S. House of Representatives select committee.
But the indictment featured some details that were not widely known,
including several based on grand jury testimony and contemporaneous
notes from former Vice President Mike Pence, who is also running for
the Republican presidential nomination.
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The indictment describes a phone call in which Pence told Trump
there was no legal basis for the theory that Pence could block
certification of the election.
"You're too honest," Trump responded, according to prosecutors.
Although Pence repeatedly told Trump he lacked the authority to
reject electoral votes from certain states, Trump kept repeating the
claim.
On Jan. 6, as he spoke to his supporters before they attacked the
Capitol, Trump said: "If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the
election." Some rioters at the Capitol later chanted, "Hang Mike
Pence!"
Far from deterred by the violence, Trump and his associates kept
calling Republican members of Congress hours after the riot had
ended, still intent on blocking certification, the indictment said.
Pence was one of the few Republicans to criticize Trump on Tuesday,
saying that "anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should
never be president."
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Jacqueline Thomsen and Andrew
Goudsward; Additional reporting by Luc Cohen, Jason Lange, Tim Reid,
John O'Connell, Jeff Mason and Patrick McFarland; Writing by Joseph
Ax; Editing by Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis and Howard Goller)
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