Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia, waives arraignment

Former President Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to all 13 charges in the sweeping Georgia case alleging he illegally attempted to overturn the state’s 2020 election results to remain in power.

The former president also waived his right to an arraignment, where he was scheduled to hear the charges he faces and enter a plea next week.

“I understand I have the right to appear personally at my arraignment, and that I have the right to have the Indictment read to me in court,” the former president said in court filings. “Understanding my rights, I do hereby freely and voluntarily waive my right to be present at my arraignment on the Indictment and my right to have it read to me in open court.”

Trump and 18 others face a combined 41 charges in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s far-reaching racketeering case. They’re accused of joining a criminal conspiracy to keep Trump in the White House after he lost the 2020 election.

The former president’s charges range from making false statements and writings to violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act — a charge rooted in combating organized crime. He also faces two counts of soliciting a public official to violate their oath of office, including over a call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) asking him to “find 11,780 votes” to help Trump overtake now-President Biden’s total in the state.

The former president surrendered at the Fulton County Jail last week — his fourth arrest this year, as he campaigns for reelection as the front-runner in the 2024 GOP primary field. 

He was released the same day on a $200,000 bond, the highest amount requested for any of the defendants in the case. Longtime Trump ally Rudy Giuliani agreed to the second highest bond amount at $150,000. 

Trump has pleaded not guilty to each of the criminal charges he faces across four cases: a New York hush money case, a federal case in Florida over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House and a federal case in Washington, D.C., over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

In all, he faces a combined 91 criminal counts.

Updated at 11:32 a.m. ET