Trump aide Walt Nauta pleaded not guilty in his third appearance in federal court Thursday on charges surrounding the former President’s handling of classified documents.
Sasha Dadan, the lawyer whom he finally hired to represent him in Florida, attended the hearing along with attorney Stanley Woodward entered Nauta’s plea.
It was the third attempt to arraign the former Navy petty officer because Nauta had not previously hired a lawyer who practices in Florida.
The rules surrounding the federal court in Miami require that practicing attorneys be a member in good standing of the Florida bar, or to be sponsored by one, before appearing.
Nauta is facing six charges, including conspiracy to obstruct, withholding a document or record, and scheme to conceal, according to the federal indictment that was unsealed in June.
Nauta worked for Trump in the White House as a valet and continued to work as an aide to the former President after Trump left office in January 2021.
The office of Special Counsel Jack Smith has accused Nauta of moving boxes filled with top-secret government materials at Trump’s Florida country club residence, Mar-a-Lago, and then helping to hide them from federal officials despite a search warrant that led to an August 8 raid on on the property by FBI agents.
The indictment said the FBI had recovered more than 100 classified documents in that raid.
Nauta’s arraignment comes after Trump himself pleaded not guilty to all 37 federal charges against him last month.
