Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges of trying to challenge the results of the US presidential election.

Former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges brought against him in Georgia for attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

This was reported by the Voice of America.

Trump also opposed starting the trial as early as possible, as some other defendants in the case have requested, and asked that his case be separated into a separate proceeding.

The not guilty plea means Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, may not appear in person in court next week when he is formally arraigned.

Trump is charged with 13 felonies in Georgia. The charges relate to Trump’s challenge to the results of the 2020 US presidential election, when he narrowly lost to Democrat Joe Biden in Georgia.

The indictment alleges that Trump and people associated with him pressured state officials to change the election results and appoint electors who would vote for him rather than Biden.

The charge brought forward in mid-August became the fourth criminal case against the former president. A case has been opened against him in Washington, also related to an attempt to challenge the election results, including the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The trial in this case will begin next March, in the midst of the Republican primaries.

Also in March, Trump will appear in court in New York state on charges of paying money to a porn actress, and in May in federal court in Florida on charges of mishandling federal classified documents. He pleaded not guilty in any of the four cases. He accuses the Biden administration of political persecution.

Fulton County prosecutors in Georgia are seeking a trial start in October. Trump’s lawyers are advocating for the trial to begin after the 2024 election, which the former president hopes to participate in. Polls show him leading the Republican presidential nomination by a wide margin, despite his criminal record. Filing charges and participating in trials is not an obstacle to participating in elections.