Former President Donald Trump’s personal aide Walt Nauta pleaded not guilty in Florida federal court Thursday after two previous attempts to prosecute him in the classified documents case were postponed.
As a co-defendant in the case with Trump, Nauta is accused of helping the former president hide key national security files from investigators after Trump left the White House. Trump pleaded not guilty in June to 37 felony charges after more than 100 classified documents were recovered from his property at Mar-a-Lago, according to the indictment.
Stanley Woodward, an attorney for Nauta, pleaded guilty on her behalf, waived reading of the lawsuit, and requested a jury trial.
Nauta spoke just three words in court, after federal judge Edwin Torres asked if Trump’s longtime aide had read the charges against him and could consult with a lawyer. “Yes, his honor,” he replied.
Nauta’s search for a lawyer had twice delayed his arraignment last month.
The hearing lasted approximately five minutes.
Nauta arrived at the court around 10:20 am Thursday.
Before Thursday’s appearance, it was unknown whether Nauta, a military valet in the Trump White House who followed the former president to Florida in his post-presidency, had found a local lawyer.
At the time of his appearance on Thursday, nauta had hired Sasha Dadan, a Florida-based attorney, according to a source familiar with the decision.
Judge Torres postponed Nauta’s earlier arraignment because he did not have a permanent attorney in Florida for his first hearing. Nauta missed the second hearing due to bad weather.
Nauta faces six counts, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, and making false statements, according to the federal indictment, which was unsealed in June.
Nauta pleaded not guilty when he appeared in court alongside Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
