White House Correspondents dinner attack suspect pleads not guilty in Trump case

Cole Tomas Allen pleaded not guilty on Monday in federal court to charges linked to an armed attack at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. Prosecutors said Allen tried to kill President Donald Trump. Authorities also alleged Allen fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer during the incident.

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Officials said the attack happened on April 25 at the Washington Hilton. The officer was shot once in a bullet-resistant vest. The event was disrupted and ended early. Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was injured in the chaos, but was not shot.

Justice Department officials sought for recusal in Allen prosecution

Allen’s lawyers asked US District Judge Trevor McFadden to bar at least two senior Justice Department officials from direct involvement. The defence argued the officials could be victims or witnesses. Prosecutors said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and US Attorney Jeanine Pirro attended the dinner.

Authorities said Allen ran through a security checkpoint before the shooting. Defence attorney Eugene Ohm said the defence likely would seek to disqualify Pirro’s entire office. McFadden did not decide immediately. McFadden asked Allen’s lawyers to explain how broad the recusal request should be.

Charges in Allen case and possible life sentence

Allen appeared in court in handcuffs and shackles, wearing an orange jail uniform. Allen did not speak during the short hearing. One of Allen’s attorneys entered the plea. Allen also faced charges of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, plus two firearms counts.

Prosecutors said Allen faced a maximum sentence of life in prison. That would apply if Allen was convicted only on the attempted assassination count. Allen was scheduled to return to court on June 29. The other charges added further potential prison exposure if Allen was found guilty.

Jail conditions and suicide watch raised in Allen hearing

After the arrest, jail officials placed Allen on suicide watch. Officials removed that status after several days, according to the report. Allen’s lawyers said the restrictions were excessive. The defence said Allen was kept in a padded room with constant lighting and strip searched often.

Allen’s attorneys also said Allen was restrained outside the cell. A Justice Department prosecutor linked the suicide concern to Allen’s statements. The prosecutor said Allen told FBI agents that he didnt expect to survive the attack. The court proceedings continued while those custody issues remained disputed.

With inputs from PTI