Walt Nauta and former president Donald Trump both pleaded no contest to the new charges brought against them in the case of federal classified documents. Although Trump did not appear at the courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, Nauta entered his plea in person before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Maynard. Todd Blanche, the former president’s attorney, entered the not-guilty plea on Trump’s behalf.
Fox News reports that Trump informed the judge the previous week of his intention to plead innocent and that he had waived the right to attend the hearing personally. Carlos De Oliveira was Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Property Manager. He attended the hearing on Thursday. De Oliveira, along with Nauta, pleaded not guilty in a superseding charge brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith. The indictment claimed that the two men conspired directly with Trump to delete surveillance footage at Mar-a-Lago so investigators couldn’t view it.
Prosecutors claim that Nauta moved boxes of classified papers so that Trump’s attorneys would not be able to find them. This led them to tell federal investigators falsely that Mar-a-Lago was already searched. Smith filed an indictment superseding the original on July 27. This indictment included three counts against Trump and two against Nauta. Two of the three charges that Trump faces could land him in prison for 40 years.
Smith had indicted Trump 37 times for mishandling classified documents and illegally stashing them. He indicted Nauta for six counts, alleging that she had helped Trump with his actions.
De Oliveira also was supposed to enter a plea during the hearing on Thursday, but it was delayed because he had not yet hired an attorney. The property manager has been indicted for four counts, alleging that he assisted in moving boxes of classified documents as well as deleting surveillance footage from Mar-a-Lago. He made his first court appearance last week and was released with a $100,000 bail.
This is Trump’s third indictment. He wants to return to the White House by 2024. Former President Trump has denied most, if not all of the charges against him. He has promised to “come back” after those who are after him. Trump posted in capitals on Truth Social after his Washington D.C. arraignment that “If you go after me, I’m coming after you!” Trump was responding to charges that the former President was responsible for Capitol protests in 2021 and that he attempted to overturn the presidential election of 2020.
