Cole Allen, the man who allegedly tried to murder President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, pleaded not guilty in a DC federal court on Monday.
Allen faces four charges:
Allen’s attorneys asked the court to remove U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro and her office from the case due to a “conflict of interest.”
What conflict of interest? The team claims “that Pirro was a victim of their client’s alleged crime” and has a personal friendship with Trump.
“As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder—how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?” the team wrote in their motion, as cited by Fox News. “Or even—how can one of the victim’s closest friends prosecute the alleged perpetrator of the offense? Given U.S. Attorney Pirro’s friendship with the President and her and Acting A.G. Blanche’s attendance at the event at the center of this prosecution, the law necessitates their disqualification.”
But Eugene Ohm, the public defender, said in court that the team likely won’t ask to remove the entire DOJ from the case.
Judge Trevor McFadden replied, “That would be quite a request.”
The court scheduled a status conference on June 29. Before that date, “prosecutors and Allen’s defense team will argue over whether Pirro or Blanche should have to recuse themselves.”
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