Trump pleads not guilty as interference case deadlines loom over election

Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to revised federal charges against him over his alleged attempts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.

Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case, also set a timeline Thursday for both sides to file briefings on the immunity issue. One deadline will coincide with the closing weeks of the US presidential election, meaning new evidence could be aired just as voters head to the polls.

Jack Smith, the special counsel on the case, had updated the wording of the charges against Trump last week, after the US Supreme Court ruled in July that presidents had broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

Trump's lawyers officially entered the not guilty plea on his behalf in Washington at the arraignment.

The former president waived his right to be present at the hearing.

He has denied accusations that he pressed officials to reverse the 2020 election results, and that he knowingly spread lies about election fraud and exploited a riot at the US Capitol to delay the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.

The revised indictment leaves in place the four charges against Trump: conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, attempting to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

Trump also pleaded not guilty to the original charges.

The revised charges were tailored to cover Trump's status at the time as a political candidate, not just a sitting president.

"The defendant had no official responsibilities related to the certification proceeding, but he did have a personal interest as a candidate in being named the winner of the election," reads the new indictment.

Late Thursday afternoon, Judge Chutkan issued deadlines for prosecutors and Trump's attorneys to file briefs with their respective arguments on presidential immunity. She did not set a new trial date.

Mr Smith must file an opening brief on presidential immunity by 26 September, and Trump's team has until 17 October to respond to it, she said. The parties face several deadlines through September and October to file necessary motions.

The dates will coincide with the final sprint of the US presidential election, where Trump is locked in a tight race with the Democratic nominee, Vice-President Kamala Harris. The election is 5 November.

“This court is not concerned with the electoral schedule," Judge Chutkan said, according to POLITICO.

"There needs to be some forward movement in this case, regardless of when the election is held.''

Judge Chutkan's deadlines mean Mr Smith could air some of the evidence his team has gathered against Trump around the same time that voters head to the polls.

Trump's attorney, John Lauro expressed concern that the process would play out “at this very sensitive time in our nation’s history," POLITICO reported.

There is a strong likelihood that Trump would move to end this case should he retake the White House; as president, he would have broad authority over the US Justice Department.

Trump has categorised the case in the past as a "witch hunt" designed to "distract the American people" from the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

Several key allegations against Trump remain in the new indictment, including that he attempted to persuade then-Vice-President Mike Pence to obstruct Mr Biden's election certification - a point that Judge Chutkan and Trump's legal team sparred over during Thursday's hearing.

Mr Lauro argued the new indictment has a "major problem" because the Supreme Court had decided that communication between Trump and Mr Pence constitutes an official act.

Judge Chutkan responded: "No, I would disagree with you, Mr Lauro, they have not decided that. They've sent it back to me to figure that one out."

The federal case over the 2020 election is one of several legal troubles facing Trump.

In another case led by Mr Smith, Trump is accused of taking classified documents back to his Florida home after leaving office.

That case has been dismissed by a Florida judge, but Mr Smith has appealed that decision.

Separately in Georgia, Trump and 18 other defendants are also accused of criminally conspiring to overturn his narrow defeat in 2020. He has pleaded not guilty, but the case is stalled while Trump's lawyers fight to remove prosecutor Fani Willis from the case.

Meanwhile, Trump awaits sentencing in New York for his conviction of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments made to a porn star. It is not yet clear whether the judge in that case, Justice Juan Merchan, will grant Trump's request to delay the sentencing until after the US presidential election.