The magistrate judge overseeing Donald Trump's arraignment on Thursday warned the former president against making attempts to exert influence over witnesses, including bribery, The Hill reported.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya reminded Trump that attempts at retaliation are criminal.
Trump made his appearance at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to answer three federal charges of conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election and one of obstruction of an official proceeding. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The warning by Upadhyaya comes in the aftermath of an allegation made the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 uprising on Capitol Hill. Then-committee member and former Rep. Liz Cheney said Trump and his allies repeatedly tried to contact an unnamed witness in that investigation.
Trump's arraignment lasted 27 minutes.
Upadhyaya scheduled Trump's next hearing for Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. EDT. She waived his appearance at that hearing, which will be before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.