Cole Allen has asked the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to recuse themselves from his case.
Cole Allen, the suspected shooter at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, pleaded “not guilty” in federal court on May 11.
Allen is charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the event on April 25. He also faces one count of transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
If convicted, he faces life in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
In a manifesto penned ahead of the alleged attack, Allen allegedly said he was motivated by disapproval of the Trump administration. He also said FBI Director Kash Patel, who was present at the dinner, was not an intended target.
On May 8, Allen’s attorneys asked the court to disqualify U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the Department of Justice from his case.
Since Blanche and Pirro were present during the attack, the attorneys argued, they may be called as witnesses in his case. Their close working relationship with Trump also represents a conflict of interest, Allen’s attorneys claimed.
This is a breaking story. Updates will follow.
Reuters contributed to this report.
