Trump to plead not guilty in Jan. 6 case

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Former US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would plead not guilty to criminal charges in a revised indictment accusing him of blocking the results of the 2020 presidential election.

"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," the Republican presidential nominee said in a court filing.

Last week, US Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment in the election interference case against Trump, narrowing the scope of the allegations in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling on immunity.

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 Trump’s false claims of election fraud, according to CNN.

It came after the Supreme Court last month granted Trump substantial immunity from prosecution on election subversion charges in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, but not steps he took as a candidate.

Prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys are expected to appear in court on Thursday for a hearing to determine the next steps after the Supreme Court's immunity ruling.