Former President Trump’s federal Jan. 6 case is headed back to a D.C. courtroom…
Lawyers are expected to enter a not guilty plea on behalf of former President Trump in federal court in Washington, D.C., Thursday related to charges from special counsel Jack Smith’s new indictment after the Supreme Court ruled a president is immune from prosecution for official acts in office.
Trump will not appear in court.
Judge Tanya Chutkan is planning to hold an arraignment on the new superseding indictment in the election subversion case.
According to a court filing obtained by Fox News, Trump signed an entry of not guilty plea. In the document, filed on Tuesday, Trump also waived his right to be present at his arraignment.
“I authorize my attorneys to enter a plea of not guilty on my behalf to each and every count of the superseding indictment, Doc. 226,” the document says. “I further state that I have received a copy of the superseding indictment and reviewed it with my counsel.”
The new indictment keeps the prior criminal charges but narrows and reframes the allegations against the Republican presidential nominee after a Supreme Court ruling that conferred broad immunity on former presidents.
Specifically, the indictment has been changed to remove allegations involving Department of Justice officials and other government officials. It clarifies Trump’s role as a candidate and makes clear the allegations regarding his conversations with then-Vice President Pence in his ceremonial role as president of the Senate.
The new indictment removes a section of the previous indictment that had accused Trump of trying to use the Justice Department to undo his 2020 loss.
Trump has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights. Those charges, to which Trump pleaded not guilty, remain.
The special counsel’s office said the updated indictment, filed in federal court in Washington, was issued by a grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in the case. The new grand jury has only heard this new information.
Sources familiar with the matter tell Fox News that discussions surrounding the superseding indictment will likely not speed things up, and it is unlikely it will go to trial before the November election.
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