Sept. 3 (UPI) — Former President Donald Trump is waiving his right to attend the arraignment of his revised Jan. 6 federal election interference case and will enter a plea of not guilty through his attorneys, according to a filing Tuesday.
“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,” Trump wrote in the filing. “I further state that I have received a copy of the superseding indictment and reviewed it with my counsel.”
Trump is not required to make an in-person appearance for the arraignment. A formal date for the new arraignment has not been set. Both sides are scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a conference in the case.
Trump pleaded not guilty last year to federal charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results that led to riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His legal team argues the former president was conducting legitimate inquires about the possibility of election fraud. Trump has repeatedly claimed, during his current campaign, that he is the victim of a government conspiracy to weaponize the law against him.
In July, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the former president is entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts undertaken while in office.
Last week, special counsel Jack Smith filed a revised federal indictment against Trump, which removed allegations that the Supreme Court determined were wrongly filed. The new 36-page indictment adds more language, describing Trump as a “candidate,” and not a president.
In the new indictment, Trump is no longer charged with trying to force the Justice Department to conduct election fraud investigations or with urging state lawmakers to choose fraudulent electors. Those interactions are immune from prosecution because they are considered official presidential acts.
Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, called Smith’s revised indictment a “resurrected ‘dead’ witch hunt” and “an act of desperation.”
The new case is not expected to go to trial before November’s election.
