Cole Tomas Allen filed a motion Thursday to have federal prosecutors disqualified from the court case in which he is accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump.
Allen’s legal team argued U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche should be recused from the case because they have personal ties to the case. The federal prosecutors attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner that Allen is accused of attacking, making them ineligible to stand against him in court, the alleged gunman argued.
“As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder—how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?” Allen’s lawyers wrote in the motion.
“Or even—how can one of the victim’s closest friends prosecute the alleged perpetrator of the offense?” they continued, referring to Pirro’s longtime friendship with Trump, who said he was a victim of an assassination attempt, after Cole allegedly rammed through the dinner’s security checkpoint, shot a Secret Service Service agent, and began running towards the ballroom where the president, Pirro, and others were gathered.
Allen, a 31-year-old California resident, has been charged with attempting to assassinate Trump at the April 25 gala. He is also charged with transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, as well as use of a firearm in a crime of violence. He was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury on all four counts.
PIRRO SAYS TRUMP DINNER SHOOTING SUSPECT ‘DEFINITIVELY’ SHOT SECRET SERVICE AGENT
Allen believes that since Pirro and Blanche were attending the gala, they hold a significant conflict of interest that bars them from involvement in the government’s case against him.
“Though disqualification of prosecutors from participation in cases is uncommon, courts have done so where the appearance of partiality was clear,” the motion reads. “Here, there is—at the very least—the appearance of partiality that necessitates the recusal of U.S. Attorney Pirro and Acting AG Blanche. Both heard gunshots, which presumably forced them to duck below the tables with the rest of the occupants. They were quickly evacuated. Shortly thereafter, they learned that law enforcement believed the target was certain administration officials.”