Donald Trump pleads not guilty to additional charges in documents case

by Niresh Eliatamby 05-08-2023 | 7:52 AM

Colombo (News 1st) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump, 77, on Friday pleaded not guilty to three additional charges in a Florida court with regard to mishandling classified documents that he is alleged to have illegally kept with him after he left the presidency, U.S. media reported.

Trump was earlier charged with 37 counts in this case and has pleaded not guilty. The trial is set to commence in May 2024. The charges were brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is investigating a mob attack on the Capitol, in an attempt to prevent the vice president from officially certifying the election result.

He appeared before a magistrate in Washington DC on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges that he attempted to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election, U.S. media reported. He will next appear in court at a procedural hearing on August 28, 2023.

Trump has been indicted by a federal grand jury including "conspiracy against the rights of citizens", "conspiracy to defraud the United States", "conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding", and "obstruction of an official proceeding".

The state of Georgia is also likely to indict him on criminal charges of attempting to overturn the result in Georgia of the last presidential election, U.S. media reported. Georgia was a key state that he lost, ensuring his defeat in the election to present President Joe Biden.

He has also been charged by state authorities in the state of New York with 34 counts relating to mishandling election campaign funds, with allegations that he used the funds to pay hush money to an adult film actress that he had a relationship with prior to becoming president. That trial is scheduled for March 2024.

Trump is a candidate for the next presidential election scheduled to be held in November 2024. Under U.S. law, he cannot be disqualified from running even if he is convicted, and also cannot be prevented from carrying out the functions of the presidency if he were to win.