Former President Donald Trump arrived in Washington, D.C. Thursday afternoon to turn himself in to federal court on his third indictment, this time for his alleged involvement in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Media on the scene reported that the former president stood before the judge, stated his full name and, without a microphone, said that he pleaded 'not guilty.' Trump faces four counts of election interference, in addition to charges from two other indictments this year. According to The Washington Post, Trump's next court date is Aug. 28, although it's unclear if he'll be there in person.
As for what else is next: The court ordered the government to submit a brief in seven days outlining how much time they think it will take to present a case. Seven days from then, the former president's team will have to propose their suggested trial date.
The scene at the courthouse for Trump's arraignment was calm with heavy security, the New York Times reported. "Officers (were) on foot and on horseback and barricades erected on the sidewalk ... with the small numbers of Mr. Trump’s critics and supporters outnumbered by the members of the news media." Trump's hearing began at 4 p.m. and lasted only 27 minutes.
This latest indictment came to light when the former president shared last week that he had received a target letter from special counsel Jack Smith, informing him that he was being investigated.
“Today, an indictment was unsealed charging Donald J. Trump with conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to disenfranchise voters, and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding. The indictment was issued by a grand jury of citizens here in the District of Columbia and sets forth the crimes charged in detail. I encourage everyone to read it in full,” said Smith in a Tuesday statement.
You can read the full indictment here.
While this marks the third indictment Trump has faced this year, he continues to deny any wrongdoing.
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This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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