White House correspondents' dinner suspect pleads not guilty
Cole Allen, the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, pleaded not guilty on Monday to all counts.
Allen -- who is accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump at the April dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel -- faces four felony counts, including attempted assassination of the President of the United States, assault on a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, transportation of a firearm and ammunition over state lines with the intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The armed 31-year-old was tackled by law enforcement after rushing through a security checkpoint at the hotel, where thousands of journalists as well as Trump and members of his Cabinet were gathered for the annual event, according to prosecutors. Allen allegedly wrote that administration officials were his targets, according to a criminal complaint.
Allen, who did not speak at all during Monday's hearing, wore an orange prison jumpsuit and was shackled around his hands and feet. He looked down at the ground when the charges against him were read.
Allen's defense attorneys said they might seek to have the entire U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia recused from the case, arguing that the two officials overseeing the prosecution – U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche – could be potential victims since they attended the dinner.
Defense attorney Eugene Ohm argued that Pirro's "very public" and "close" relationship with Trump -- who was the alleged intended target of the attack -- might also play a factor in potentially recusing herself.
Pirro and Blanche have not commented on the motion.
Judge Trevor McFadden seemed to want to get clarity about what both Pirro and Blanche's roles are in the prosecution.
The government has until May 22 to respond to the defense's motion.
Allen is due back in court on June 29.
