MIAMI (AP) — Donald Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, entered a plea of not guilty on Thursday to charges related to the alleged hiding of classified documents. Nauta, who was charged alongside Trump in June, appeared in court with his new Florida-based lawyer, Sasha Dadan, as the case moves forward.
A Delayed Arraignment
Nauta’s arraignment had been scheduled twice before but was delayed due to difficulties in finding a lawyer licensed in Florida and travel issues. However, with the representation of Sasha Dadan, a renowned criminal defense attorney and former public defender, Nauta was finally able to proceed with the arraignment.
The Plea and Defense Team
During the brief court appearance, Nauta, accompanied by his Washington lawyer, Stanley Woodward, pleaded not guilty on his behalf. When asked if he had reviewed the indictment, Nauta responded affirmatively. Following the arraignment, without entertaining questions from reporters, Nauta and his attorneys left the courthouse and got into a Black Mercedes-Benz sedan.
Trump’s Previous Plea
Back in June, Donald Trump also pleaded not guilty during his own arraignment. The charges against him included the willful retention of national defense information. However, Nauta’s arraignment was postponed on that day due to lawyer-related issues and was rescheduled once more last week when a planned flight from New Jersey was canceled.
The Allegations
The indictment, led by special counsel Jack Smith and his team of prosecutors, accuses Nauta of conspiring with Trump to conceal records that the former president had taken from the White House after his term ended in January 2021.
Allegations Against Nauta in Relation to Classified Documents
Prosecutors have made serious allegations against Nauta, a Navy veteran and former personal aide to the president, for his involvement in the mishandling of classified documents. It is alleged that Nauta, under the direction of the former president, deliberately moved boxes of documents with classification markings to prevent them from being discovered by a Trump lawyer who was responsible for retrieving classified records for the government.
This act led to a false claim being made to the Justice Department, stating that a thorough search had been conducted for classified documents and that all relevant records had been returned. The relocation of these boxes was captured on surveillance camera footage, which had been subpoenaed by the Justice Department. This footage served as crucial evidence of the actions taken, forming the basis for establishing probable cause of a crime when prosecutors applied for a warrant to search Mar-a-Lago.
Furthermore, prosecutors assert that Nauta misled the FBI during an interview by denying any knowledge of the boxes of documents being brought to Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.
Nauta has been a close confidant to the former president, having previously served as his valet at the White House and then accompanying him as a personal aide at Mar-a-Lago. He has been a constant presence by Trump’s side, even joining him in his motorcade to the Miami courthouse for a recent court appearance. Following this, Nauta accompanied Trump to a popular Cuban restaurant in the city, where they interacted with supporters and took photos together.
