Trump Pleads Not Guilty In US Election Conspiracy Case, Waives Right To Appear In Court

New Delhi: Former US President Donald Trump on Thursday pleaded not guilty to charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the results of 2020 Georgia election and waived his right to appear in the court next week, news agency AP reported.

“Understanding my rights, I do hereby freely and voluntarily waive my right to be present at my arraignment on the indictment and my right to have it read to me in open court,” Trump said in the court filing.

According to reports, Donald Trump and 18 others were charged in an alleged scheme to subvert the will of the Georgia voters who had chosen Joe Biden over the Republican incumbent in the presidential election in November 2020.

As per the AP report, several other people who were charged in the indictment had already waived their arraignment.

Notably, Trump had appeared at each of his three previous arraignments related to the case.

The plea means that Trump, the Republican nominee for 2024, will not appear in person in Fulton County Court in Atlanta next week to face the charges, Reuters reported. 

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has charged Trump with 13 felonies, including racketeering, for allegedly pressuring state officials to reverse his 2020 election loss and setting up a bogus slate of electors to undermine congressional certification of Democratic President Joe Biden’s victory.

What Is ‘Georgia Election Racketeering Case’?

The Georgia Election Racketeering case is a criminal case filed against former President Donald Trump and his allies by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The case alleges that Trump and his allies engaged in a “criminal conspiracy” to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

The case is based on a number of allegations, including that Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn the election results, that Trump and his allies made false claims about voter fraud in Georgia, and that they tried to intimidate election officials in the state.

Trump and his allies have denied the allegations, calling the case a “witch hunt.” They have also filed a number of lawsuits to try to block the case from going forward.

The case is still in its early stages, and it is not clear whether it will result in any charges being filed against Trump or his allies. However, the case is seen as a major test of Trump’s political future and his ability to avoid legal consequences for his actions.