Trump to Plead Not Guilty in Federal Court Hearing for Election Case

On Thursday, lawyers representing former President Trump will enter a not guilty plea in federal court in Washington, D.C., in response to charges from special counsel Jack Smith's new indictment, despite the Supreme Court ruling that a president is immune from prosecution for official acts in office.

Trump's lawyers will enter a not guilty plea on his behalf during the status hearing before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Thursday, as he will not be present in court.

Trump signed a not guilty plea and waived his right to be present at his arraignment, according to a court filing obtained by Planet Chronicle.

"I give my lawyers permission to enter a plea of not guilty on my behalf for each count in the superseding indictment, as stated in Document 226. I confirm that I have obtained a copy of the indictment and have reviewed it with my legal counsel."

The indictment and revised criminal charges against Trump last week allege that he pressured former Vice President Pence to reject legitimate electoral votes and fabricated electors in key states that went to President Biden, all in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The revised indictment maintains the original criminal charges but rephrases the accusations against the Republican presidential candidate following a Supreme Court decision granting former presidents broad immunity.

The indictment has been revised to exclude accusations against Department of Justice officials and other government officials. It now focuses on Trump's actions as a presidential candidate and specifies the allegations concerning his discussions with then-Vice President Pence in his capacity as president of the Senate.

The revised indictment eliminates a portion of the original accusation that Trump attempted to utilize the Justice Department to reverse his 2020 electoral defeat. The Supreme Court recently upheld Trump's immunity from prosecution for any official actions committed while in the White House, as ruled in a 6-3 decision.

Trump has been accused of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. These charges, to which Trump has pleaded not guilty, still stand.

Trump is accused of attempting to appoint fake electors in states won by Biden to prove his victory, and of pressuring Pence to reject legitimate electoral votes.

The updated indictment, filed in federal court in Washington, was issued by a grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in the case. The new grand jury has only heard this new information.

According to sources, the superseding indictment is unlikely to expedite the proceedings and it is unlikely that the case will go to trial before the November election.

Planet Chronicle' David Spunt and The Associated Press contributed to this report.