WHCD Shooting Suspect Cole Allen In Discussions With Prosecutors About Possible Plea Deal
White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect Cole Allen is engaged in discussions with federal prosecutors about a possible plea agreement, according to statements made by attorneys during a court hearing Monday.
Allen appeared in federal court in Washington wearing an orange jumpsuit and shackles during the brief hearing, where both prosecutors and defense attorneys confirmed that conversations about a potential plea arrangement had taken place.
“No plea offer has been extended up to this point,” prosecutor Adam Berry told the court.
Defense attorney Tezira Abe acknowledged that discussions had occurred, telling the judge, “There has been a potential discussion of a plea.”
Allen faces charges that carry a potential sentence of life in prison if convicted, including allegations that he attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump and targeted senior members of the administration.
Federal prosecutors told the court that investigators continue to review extensive evidence in the case, including forensic images taken from multiple electronic devices recovered through search warrants.
In May, prosecutors formally indicted the 31-year-old California schoolteacher on charges including attempted assassination of the president, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, transporting a firearm across state lines to commit a felony and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Authorities allege Allen entered the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25 armed with a shotgun and multiple knives before opening fire and striking a Secret Service agent in a bulletproof vest.
The injured agent survived the shooting and other officers quickly subdued and arrested the suspect.
Investigators also recovered a manifesto allegedly written by Allen in which he described his motivations and listed several members of the Trump administration as targets. More than a dozen officials in the presidential line of succession were reportedly attending the event at the time of the attack.
Earlier in the case, Allen’s attorneys attempted to remove Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Washington US Attorney Jeanine Pirro from the prosecution team, arguing that their attendance at the event and relationships with President Trump created conflicts of interest.
US District Judge Trevor McFadden rejected that request, ruling that neither official was likely to be called as a witness and did not legally qualify as victims in the case.
“Their statements about the investigation and friendships with the President likewise present no basis for screening them from the case,” McFadden wrote in his decision.
The judge scheduled the next hearing for August 20, citing the complexity of the case and the large volume of evidence that remains under review.
A protective order remains in place restricting the public release of certain evidence that could reveal sensitive law enforcement techniques or personal identifying information.