Top Justice Department officials can remain part of prosecution of press gala attack, judge rules

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden has refused to disqualify Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro from the prosecution of Cole Tomas Allen, keeping the Justice Department's top supervisors attached to a closely watched attempted-assassination case.

The ruling leaves Blanche and Pirro in place as the case moves through pretrial litigation. It is a meaningful decision because it preserves the current prosecution structure in a case that has drawn attention both for the charged conduct and for the senior officials overseeing it.

What the defense argued

Allen's lawyers asked the court to remove both officials on conflict-of-interest grounds. They argued that Blanche and Pirro should be barred from the case because of their attendance at the April White House Correspondents' Association dinner tied to the alleged attack.

The defense also pointed to Pirro's personal ties to President Donald Trump as part of its argument that she could not fairly remain involved in the prosecution.

McFadden rejected that theory. According to the reporting, he found that neither Blanche nor Pirro is a victim in the case and neither is likely to be a trial witness.

That left the defense without the immediate recusal it had sought, though the ruling does not end the criminal case or any other motions Allen may pursue.

The charges against Allen

Allen is charged with attempting to assassinate Trump in the April attack at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington.

Reporting also says he faces charges tied to assaulting a federal officer and weapons offenses. Prosecutors have described the conduct as including firing a shotgun at a Secret Service agent and trying to breach a security checkpoint while armed.

Allen has pleaded not guilty.

The attempted-assassination charge is the most serious count in the case and carries a possible life sentence if he is convicted.

From the April attack to the June ruling

The underlying incident occurred on April 25 at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

The Justice Department announced charges against Allen two days later, on April 27.

Allen was then indicted on additional charges, including attempted assassination, on May 5.

McFadden's ruling on June 22 is the latest major development in the case and keeps the prosecution on its current path as pretrial issues continue to be litigated.

Why the ruling matters

The decision keeps top Justice Department leadership attached to one of the most politically sensitive federal prosecutions to emerge from the April attack.

Had the defense succeeded, the case would have been forced away from the department's highest-profile supervisors, at least in practice. Instead, Blanche and Pirro remain part of the government team handling the prosecution.

The ruling may also shape how future recusal or conflict arguments are framed in the case, but it does not resolve the merits of Allen's charges.

What happens next

The defense can continue pressing other challenges to the prosecution.

Further pretrial motions and hearings are likely before any trial date is set.

For now, the case remains with the same Justice Department leadership in place, and the court has signaled that the recusal fight does not require removing either top official at this stage.