Donald Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election fraud case

Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to election fraud charges (AP)
Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to election fraud charges (AP)

Former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty over allegations of attempted electoral fraud in Georgia.

Trump is among 19 people charged with a conspiracy to overturn the US state’s 2020 election results.

He turned himself in at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta last week where he had his mugshot taken.

He has virulently denied any wrongdoing and repeatedly claimed the case as politically motivated.

In a court document filed on Thursday he said that he “fully understands” the nature of the offences and his right to appear at an arraignment in court. However, he said he would waive the right to appear in front of a judge next week.

The document says: “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, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has appeared at each of his three previous arraignments.

He was required to do so for the cases he is facing in New York and Florida, and opted to not request a virtual appearance for a separate case in Washington DC.

There are four criminal cases currently proceeding against Donald Trump and his allies.