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The man accused of raiding the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner armed with guns and knives pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of trying to kill US President Donald Trump and shooting a Secret Service officer who tried to stop the attack.
Cole Tomas Allen was handcuffed and shackled and wearing an orange prison uniform when he appeared in federal court for his arraignment. Allen did not speak during the brief hearing. One of his lawyers filed a petition on his behalf.
Allen’s attorneys are asking US District Judge Trevor McFadden to exclude at least two senior Justice Department officials from direct involvement in his prosecution because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a conflict of opinion.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro were at the event when Allen ran into the search area and shot the Secret Service officer, authorities said. Defense attorney Eugene Ohm said the prosecution will seek to exclude Pirro’s entire office from involvement in the case.
McFadden, a Trump appointee, did not rule on the bench but asked Allen’s lawyers to elaborate on the value of their withdrawal request.
Defense attorney Eugene Ohm said the prosecution will seek to exclude Pirro’s entire office from involvement in the case. Ohm acknowledged that the request to remove the entire Justice Department would not be possible.
“That would be a plea,” said the judge.
McFadden gave prosecutors until May 22 to respond in writing to the defense’s request. The judge asked the government to clarify whether it believed Pirro and Blanche could be considered victims in the case.
“That might add some clarity here,” McFadden said.
In their filings, Allen’s attorneys hinted that the hiring of a special prosecutor may be warranted.
He faces life in prison
A Secret Service officer was shot once in a bulletproof vest during the April 25 attack at the Washington Hilton, disrupting and ultimately leading to the early end of one of the nation’s capital’s most important annual events. Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., was wounded but not shot.
Allen is scheduled to return to court on June 29.
In addition to the count of attempted murder, Allen is charged with assaulting a public official with a deadly weapon and two additional counts of firearms. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of attempted lone murder.
Allen was placed on suicide watch after his arrest, but prison officials removed him from that status after a few days. Allen’s attorneys complained that he had been unnecessarily confined to a dimly lit cell, repeatedly searched and placed in cells outside his cell.
Allen told the FBI he didn’t expect to survive the attack, which could help explain why he was considered suicidal, a Justice Department prosecutor said.
The suspect took a photo before the attack, prosecutors said
Allen had an ammunition pouch, a gun slung over his shoulder and a folding knife when he took a picture of himself in his hotel room minutes before the attack, according to prosecutors.
In a message that authorities say sheds light on his motive, Allen called himself a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and spoke bluntly of complaints about the actions of the Trump Republican administration.
Authorities say Allen on April 6 had reserved a room at the Hilton where the event would take place a few weeks later under tight security. He traveled by train across the country from California, checking into a hotel the day before dinner with a room reserved for the weekend.
Trump was rushed to the stage by his security team at the event on Saturday night and appeared at the White House two hours later, still playing his song, to talk about the attack and the suspect.
“If you have an impact, they chase you. If you don’t have an impact, they leave you alone,” said the president. “Looks like he was a lone wolf.”
A 31-year-old man is in custody after trying to storm the press briefing room at the White House, which was attended by US President Donald Trump, other senior officials and the media.
