Walt Nauta Pleads Not Guilty To Charges Of Concealing Classified Documents

(CTN NEWS) – On Thursday, Walt Nauta, the valet of Donald Trump, entered a plea of not guilty to charges of assisting the former president in concealing classified documents from federal authorities.

Nauta appeared in court with a new lawyer based in Florida as the case progresses.

Nauta Indicted on 38 Counts Related to Mishandling of Classified Documents

Nauta was indicted in June, along with Trump, on 38 counts related to the mishandling of classified documents. His arraignment had been postponed twice due to difficulties in finding a Florida-licensed attorney and travel issues.

In preparation for his arraignment, Nauta retained Sasha Dadan, a criminal defense attorney and former public defender, who operates her primary law office in Fort Pierce, the same location where the trial judge is situated.

Dadan appeared in court alongside Nauta, along with his Washington-based attorney, Stanley Woodward, who entered the plea of not guilty on his client’s behalf.

During the brief court appearance, when asked if he had reviewed the indictment, Nauta respectfully replied, “Yes, Your Honor.”

Following the arraignment, Nauta and his legal team left the courthouse and entered a Black Mercedes-Benz sedan without addressing questions from reporters.

Nauta and Legal Team Depart Courthouse without Engaging Reporters

On June 13, Trump pleaded not guilty during his arraignment to charges that included willful retention of national defense information.

However, Nauta’s arraignment was postponed on that day due to lawyer-related circumstances and was subsequently rescheduled again last week when his planned flight from New Jersey was canceled.

According to the indictment filed by special counsel Jack Smith and his team of prosecutors, Nauta is accused of conspiring with Trump to conceal records taken by the former president from the White House after his term concluded in January 2021.

Prosecutors claim that, at Trump’s instruction, Nauta relocated boxes of documents containing classification markings to prevent their discovery by a Trump lawyer responsible for searching the residence for classified records to be returned to the government.

As a result, prosecutors allege that a false claim was made to the Justice Department, asserting that a thorough search for classified documents had been conducted and that all documents responsive to a subpoena had been returned.

Surveillance Footage Provides Evidence of Box Relocation

Surveillance camera footage, which the Justice Department had obtained through a subpoena, captured the relocation of the boxes.

Agents and prosecutors cited these actions as a basis for probable cause in their warrant application to search Mar-a-Lago, as revealed in newly unsealed information from the application.

Prosecutors further contend that Nauta provided misleading information to the FBI during an interview last year when he claimed to be unaware of any boxes of documents being brought to Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.

Nauta, a Navy veteran, previously served as Trump’s valet at the White House, responsible for retrieving Diet Cokes. He later became a personal aide to Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

Nauta frequently accompanies Trump, including during their appearance earlier this month at the Miami courthouse, as well as a subsequent visit to the renowned Cuban restaurant Versailles, where he assisted in managing eager supporters seeking selfies with the former president.

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