Former President Donald Trump has filed a court document indicating his intention to plead not guilty to charges stemming from his post-2020 election actions. This revised indictment was brought by special counsel Jack Smith. Trump, the Republican candidate in the November election, has also waived his right to appear in a federal court in Washington.
In the court filing, Trump authorized his attorneys to enter a plea of not guilty on his behalf to each count of the superseding indictment. Prosecutors and Trump’s legal team are set to appear in court to determine the next steps following the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.
Special counsel Jack Smith revised the indictment in August after the Supreme Court ruled in July that presidents should have immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts. This decision led to a new grand jury in Washington re-indicting the former president. The superseding indictment reflects the government’s efforts to comply with the Supreme Court’s instructions.
The new indictment removes specific claims against Trump but maintains the same criminal charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice. It alleges that Trump acted as a private citizen, not as president, during the alleged election-related crimes.
Trump has criticized the charges as “ridiculous” and called for the case to be dismissed immediately. He believes the charges are an attempt to interfere with the upcoming election. Trump previously pleaded not guilty to charges brought by Smith’s office last year and denied any wrongdoing.
In addition to the federal election case, Smith has brought charges against Trump in Florida for retaining classified documents and obstruction of justice. However, a federal judge dismissed the case in July on the grounds of Smith’s appointment being unlawful.
Smith has appealed this decision to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Trump also faces election-related charges in Fulton County, Georgia, which have been put on hold as he appeals a judge’s ruling. In September, Trump faces sentencing in a New York City case related to falsifying business records in connection to payments made in the 2016 election. He has requested a postponement of the sentencing date following the reworked indictment by Smith.
This article contains information sourced from Reuters. Can you please rewrite this sentence?
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