Donald Trump mug shot
The first defendant in the Georgia election interference case has entered a plea to the charges.
Ray Smith, an attorney for Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign in the state, waived his arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty to all 12 counts against him, according to a court filing.
The other 18 defendants – including Mr Trump – are yet to enter a plea and are all expected to appear in court for their arraignment on 6 September.
On Monday, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows took the historic step of testifying about the allegations in court for the first time as he seeks to have the case moved to federal court.
In court, he was grilled about the phone call at the centre of the case where Mr Trump urged Georgia’s chief elections official Brad Raffensperger to “find” votes to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state. The judge is yet to issue a ruling.
Also on Monday, a trial date was set for the federal 2020 election interference case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Judge Tanya Chutkan said jury selection will begin on 4 March 2024, the day before the Super Tuesday primaries.
