WASHINGTON: A California man accused of attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump during a White House Correspondents’ Association dinner last month pleaded not guilty to all charges in federal court on Monday.
Cole Allen, 31, appeared before US District Judge Trevor McFadden in Washington wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and shackles.
Allen did not speak during the brief hearing as his attorney, Tezira Abe, entered the plea on his behalf.
Federal prosecutors have charged Allen with attempted assassination of the president, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, and multiple firearms offences.
He faces a potential life sentence if convicted on the attempted assassination charge alone.
According to prosecutors, Allen travelled by train from California to Washington carrying a shotgun, pistol and knives before booking a room at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner was held on April 25.
Authorities alleged that Allen attempted to force his way through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a US Secret Service officer during the incident.
The officer was struck during the exchange of gunfire but survived because of a bulletproof vest.
Agents tackled Allen near a staircase leading to the ballroom where Trump, Vice President JD Vance, cabinet members, journalists and senior administration officials were attending the dinner.
Prosecutors said Allen had checked online coverage of the gala shortly before the attack and had taken photographs of himself in his hotel room carrying weapons and ammunition.
Court documents filed by the Justice Department alleged that Allen sprinted through a metal detector while holding a shotgun in a raised position.
Allen’s lawyers requested that senior Justice Department officials be removed from the case, arguing they could be considered victims or witnesses because they attended the event.
The defence is seeking the recusal of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Washington’s top federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro.
Defence lawyer Eugene Ohm told the court that prosecutors who attended the event should not be directly involved in the case.
“It is wholly inappropriate for victims of an alleged event like this to be individually prosecuting the case,” Ohm said.
He added that the defence was likely to seek the recusal of the entire US Attorney’s Office in Washington because of Pirro’s friendship with Trump and her status as a potential victim.
Judge McFadden did not immediately rule on the request and instructed Allen’s lawyers to provide further details on the scope of the proposed recusals.
The Justice Department has been ordered to respond to the defence filing by May 22.
Pirro earlier told CNN that her role in the prosecution was unrelated to her attendance at the dinner.
“My ability to prosecute this case has nothing to do with my being there,” she said.
Allen’s court appearance on Monday marked his first hearing before McFadden, who will oversee the remainder of the case.
