Former Trump aide pleads not guilty in classified documents retention case News
The White House // Public domain
Former Trump aide pleads not guilty in classified documents retention case

Waltine Nauta, a former aide to US ex-President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to six criminal charges in a Miami, Florida federal court. According to a minute order from the magistrate that oversaw Nauta’s arraignment, Nauta pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding documents or records, corruptly concealing documents or records, concealing documents in a federal investigation, scheming to conceal and making false statements or representations. Trump previously pleaded not guilty on June 13 to 37 charges in the same federal criminal case.

Nauta was previously set to enter his plea in June, but his arraignment was postponed because he had no local counsel in Florida. Since then, court records indicate that Nauta obtained local counsel, Sasha Dadan, to appear alongside his Washington DC counsel, Stanley Woodward Jr.

Federal prosecutors accuse Nauta of helping Trump package classified documents relating to US and foreign allies’ defense and weapons capabilities, nuclear information, potential vulnerabilities, and retaliation plans at the White House to take to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Florida residence. The indictment states that Trump was not authorized to possess or retain the classified documents. Once the documents arrived at Mar-a-Lago, Nauta assisted the former president in moving the boxes throughout the residence, sometimes carrying them into Trump’s private residence for him to review the documents contained therein.

The judge overseeing the case, Judge Aileen Cannon, also issued an order Thursday establishing an August 14 jury trial date for the case. However, legal experts doubt the trial will begin on time due to national security concerns surrounding some of the trial materials. The trial is currently slated to last up to two weeks.