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Former President Donald Trump will plead not guilty to charges in the revised indictment accusing him of working to subvert the results of the 2020 election, according to a court filing. Trump has waived his right to be present at his arraignment, allowing his lawyer to enter the plea on his behalf. The arraignment is part of the federal January 6 election interference case led by special counsel Jack Smith.
The revised indictment was filed last week following a Supreme Court ruling that presidents are shielded from official acts. The court sent the case back to lower courts to determine if the ex-president could still face charges based on their decision. The new indictment removes allegations about Trump using the Department of Justice to advance his claims of voter fraud, as the Supreme Court deemed this fell within his official duties as president.
Trump faces the same four felony charges as in the original indictment: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct a federal proceeding, obstruction of a federal proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.
The former president has consistently denied any wrongdoing and continues to allege widespread voter fraud in his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. These claims have been widely debunked and rejected in courts nationwide.
A hearing in the case is expected on Thursday (September 5). It is unlikely that the case will go to trial before November's election.