Former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to unprecedented charges against him in connection with attempted voter fraud and the Capitol attack.
This was reported by a reporter from the German Press Agency from the meeting of the responsible court in Washington. The Republican presidential candidate was indicted on Tuesday. At the court hearing, the allegations were presented to him formally and in person for the first time.
Trump sees the indictment as a maneuver by his opponents
Trump denies all allegations and sees any legal action against him as an attempt by his opponents to prevent him from returning to the White House. Trump has again run for the Republican nomination in next year’s presidential election. According to surveys, he is currently far ahead in the field of candidates for his party.
Special Counsel Jack Smith announced the unprecedented charges against the ex-president on Tuesday. Trump is accused of plotting to defraud the United States, disenfranchise voters and obstruct an official process. The 45-page indictment charges Trump with four formal charges.
It is the second federal indictment against Trump and the third overall against the ex-president for an alleged criminal offense. If convicted, he could face decades in prison. According to experts, a conviction would not legally prevent Trump from running in the next presidential election next year – especially since it is highly questionable whether a final judgment will be available by then.
Several people died in the Capitol storm
Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden. He never admitted his defeat, however, and has since spread false claims that he was robbed of a victory through electoral fraud. At the time, Trump and those around him tried various ways to subsequently overturn the result.
The campaign against the outcome of the election finally culminated in an unprecedented outbreak of violence on January 6, 2021: On that day, Trump supporters stormed the seat of the US Congress, where Biden’s election victory was to be formally confirmed at the time. Trump had once again goaded his supporters in a speech shortly beforehand by claiming that a victory had been “stolen” from him through massive election fraud. Several people died in the course of the riots.
In recent months, Trump has been indicted on two other counts: in connection with paying hush money to a porn star several years ago and for improperly storing classified government documents after the end of his tenure. He could also face another indictment in the state of Georgia for his role after the 2020 election.
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