By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - Former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to criminal charges in a revised indictment accusing him of blocking the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The Republican presidential candidate said Tuesday in a court filing that he is waiving his right to appear in person at an arraignment hearing.
His lawyers entered the plea on his behalf at the start of the court hearing in Washington, where Trump did not attend.
It is the first hearing in Trump’s election interference case since the Supreme Court earlier this summer granted the former president substantial immunity from prosecution on election subversion charges in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The Court’s ruling does not grant Trump immunity in steps he took as a candidate.
Last week, US Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment in the case, narrowing the scope of the allegations in response to the Supreme Court ruling.
While none of the four original charges against Trump have been dropped, the revised indictment removes certain allegations, including those related to attempts to use the Justice Department to support his false claims of election fraud.