FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — All 19 of the people charged in a yearslong investigation into election interference in Georgia have pleaded not guilty, including former President Donald Trump and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, according to multiple reports.
Meadows entered his not guilty plea on Tuesday morning and waived his right to appear in court for his arraignment, court records show. His co-defendants have also filed similar paperwork, although some did so after a deadline set by the judge ahead of arraignments set for Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
Former Coffee County election supervisor Misty Hampton, who also goes by Emily Misty Hayes, became the last of the 19 defendants to plead not guilty and waive her arraignment on Tuesday, according to WSB-TV and The Hill. It was not immediately clear whether her waiver would be accepted because, despite a requirement set out by the judge, it was signed by her attorney and not by her, the AP reported.
[ By the numbers: What are the charges Trump is facing? ]
Last month, a grand jury handed down indictments to Trump, Meadows, Hampton and 16 others following a sprawling investigation into interference in the 2020 presidential election. Authorities accused Trump and his co-conspirators of racketeering to change the outcome of the 2020 election in Trump’s favor.
The former president lost Georgia to President Joe Biden by 11,779 votes, WSB reported.
[ Trump indictment in Georgia: Former President Donald Trump enters not guilty plea ]
Also facing charges are former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and former Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Kenneth Cheseboro, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing, framing the investigation and others delving into his conduct as politically motivated as the 2024 race for the White House heats up.