Washington
Former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to criminal charges of conspiring to reverse his defeat in the 2020 election during a federal court appearance here. Trump was arrested and later released. This is the third time in the last four months that this has happened.
The former President appeared before Gujarat-born Indian-American Magistrate Moxila A. Upadhyay. Further proceedings in the case will be conducted by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan and the first hearing is scheduled for August 28.
When Judge Upadhyay asked Trump, he declared himself innocent. The proceedings lasted less than 30 minutes and Trump was back at the airport to fly to his golf course home in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Trump’s two earlier arrests were in New York City in connection with secret money payments to an adult film star who has claimed to be in a relationship with him. Including a federal case in Florida for mishandling the papers during his presidency. He faces 78 criminal charges in all three cases.
Another indictment is expected any day now in Georgia, which is probing his efforts to swing the 2020 election result in his favour. He also lost a civil defamation case against a woman who alleged that he had raped her decades ago.
Trump and six unnamed co-conspirators face four new charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States in a 45-page indictment handed down by the grand jury on Tuesday based on Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s investigation.
