Attorneys Seek to Disqualify Pirro, Other DOJ Leaders from White House Dinner Shooter Case

Attorneys for Cole Allen, the man accused of shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, asked a judge Thursday night to disqualify U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro and other senior Justice Department leaders from the case. They said Pirro and others were present during the incident.

The motion opened with a quote from FBI Director Kash Patel. He spoke at a press conference two days after the shooting alongside acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Pirro. "This one hits a little differently. We were all there," the motion quoted Patel as saying.

Allen faces charges of attempting to assassinate President Trump, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, and two gun counts. He has not entered a plea.

Allen's lawyers argued that Pirro and Blanche should step aside because of their status as "purported victims and witnesses in this case."

They noted that federal prosecutors have accused Allen of trying to kill "high-ranking government officials," a term that could include Blanche and Pirro. The lawyers also pointed out Pirro's longtime friendship with Trump. They said she has referenced her status as a potential victim in media appearances. In one CNN interview, Pirro described being "in that combat zone" in the ballroom.

The filing cited internal Justice Department rules. Those rules direct employees to recuse themselves from criminal investigations where they have a conflict of interest or personal relationship with people involved.

"As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder—how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?" the lawyers wrote. "Or even—how can one of the victim's closest friends prosecute the alleged perpetrator of the offense?"

CBS News has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.

Prosecutors say Allen, 31, sprinted through a security checkpoint one floor above the correspondents' dinner. He was armed with a handgun, a shotgun, and several knives. Authorities say he fired his shotgun at an officer. The officer was hit in his protective vest. The officer fired back five times but missed Allen. Allen was then taken into custody.