Cole Tomas Allen, accused of a gun attack at the White House correspondents' dinner last month, entered a not guilty plea Monday through his attorney without speaking in court.
Allen faces charges including attempted assassination of the president, assault on a federal officer, and firearms offenses. The assassination charge alone carries a potential life sentence.
Prosecutors allege that on April 25, Allen fired a shotgun at a U.S. Secret Service agent while attempting to breach security at the glitzy annual gala held at the Washington Hilton. The event drew more than 2,500 members of the press corps along with senior administration officials and the president.
According to federal court filings, Allen traveled from California to Chicago before reaching Washington, where he checked into the Washington Hilton the evening before the dinner. As the event unfolded, he allegedly rushed through security near the reception area and was stopped before reaching the ballroom.
Authorities recovered a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a pistol from Allen at the scene. An FBI affidavit included excerpts from a manifesto prosecutors say Allen sent to family members just before he was tackled outside the ballroom.
"I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes," the document read, according to the filing. It also listed administration officials as "targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest."
Author James Rodriguez: "A straightforward not guilty plea on capital charges signals this will be a lengthy legal fight, and the manifesto language prosecutors cited will likely anchor their entire case."
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