Title: Former Trump Aide Pleads Not Guilty to Hiding Classified Documents at Mar-a-Lago
Miami, FL – Waltine “Walt” Nauta, a personal aide to former President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of conspiring with Trump to hide classified documents from authorities at his Florida residence and private club, Mar-a-Lago.
The arraignment, which took place in Miami federal court, was delayed because Nauta did not have a local attorney present. His lawyer, Stan Woodward, entered the plea on his behalf, accompanied by his new local lawyer, Sasha Dadan. Trump had previously entered a not-guilty plea last month.
According to the government’s accusations, Nauta assisted in moving boxes containing top-secret government materials at Mar-a-Lago and helped hide the documents from federal officials who were seeking their return.
This marks the first federal criminal prosecution of a former president. The indictment against Nauta and Trump includes charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, concealing a document, and scheming to conceal a material fact in a federal investigation. Nauta is also charged with lying to the FBI, while Trump faces 31 counts of mishandling national defense information. Nauta could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge.
The trial date for Trump and Nauta is yet to be determined. Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who is overseeing the case in Florida, set an initial trial date in August. However, due to expected pretrial legal complications, Special counsel Jack Smith has requested a December trial date. Trump’s lawyers are expected to file arguments next week for a different timeline.
Cases involving classified materials as evidence require additional pretrial proceedings to safeguard national security secrets. Prosecutors have stated that Trump’s attorneys do not possess the necessary security clearance, further complicating the trial process.
A hearing is scheduled for next week in the case, but Nauta’s lawyers have indicated that they will seek a postponement due to unrelated scheduling conflicts.
Authorities recently unsealed more portions of a search warrant affidavit that was used to search Mar-a-Lago last summer, leading to the discovery of over 100 documents, some of which were classified. These findings contributed to Trump’s indictment on charges of mishandling national security secrets.
Trump’s spokesperson stated that the former president has always complied with the Presidential Records Act, which governs Presidents and their records. The spokesperson also accused the Justice Department of rejecting Trump’s offer to cooperate.
The newly unsealed portion of the affidavit revealed that surveillance footage captured Nauta moving boxes both prior to and after being questioned by the FBI. It also highlighted the significance of Nauta’s actions in moving a substantial number of boxes out of a storage room and subsequently returning only a portion of them, suggesting collaboration with Trump.
As the case unfolds, further updates will be provided.