Trump Aide Walt Nauta Pleads Not Guilty in Classified Documents Case

Walt Nauta, valet to former President Donald Trump and a co-defendant in federal charges filed against Mr. Trump, leaves the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building in Miami on July 6, 2023. Alon Skuy/Getty Images

Walt Nauta, a personal aide to former President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty on July 6 in a Miami courtroom to helping Mr. Trump hide classified documents from law enforcement.

Mr. Nauta was indicted last month in special counsel Jack Smith’s probe of the former president’s handling of classified documents. While he was initially scheduled to appear in court alongside Mr. Trump on June 13, his arraignment was postponed as he didn’t have a defense attorney who was authorized to practice in Florida.

Last week, the date was pushed back again because of a canceled flight.

Ahead of his arraignment, Mr. Nauta hired Sasha Dadan, a criminal defense attorney and former public defender based in Fort Pierce, where the judge handling the trial is based. Ms. Dadan appeared in court with Mr. Nauta and his Washington lawyer, Stanley Woodward, who entered the plea on behalf of his client.

Mr. Nauta was an active-duty Navy officer when he was stationed as a valet at the White House during the Trump administration, according to the indictment (pdf) filed against him and his boss. In August 2021, Mr. Nauta became an executive assistant to the Office of Donald J. Trump and began serving as a personal aide to the former president.

Mr. Trump, at his arraignment, pleaded not guilty to 37 charges, including the willful retention of national defense information and conspiring to obstruct justice.

Mr. Nauta stands accused of helping Mr. Trump to conceal classified documents at the former president’s Palm Beach, Florida, home and of making false statements and conspiring to obstruct justice.

Prosecution or Persecution?

The government’s investigation of Mr. Trump’s documents first became public knowledge last August, when the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago estate.

The move sparked an uproar among Republicans—and even some Democrats—who feared that the Department of Justice was targeting the former president for political reasons.

After Mr. Trump announced his third presidential bid in November, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Mr. Smith as special counsel in the documents probe and the government’s investigation of whether the former president illegally interfered in the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election.

Mr. Trump is also the target of a similar election probe in Georgia and is facing falsification of business records charges in New York. In all cases, he has maintained his innocence, holding that the U.S. justice system is being weaponized against him to prevent him from winning the presidency again.

“As my Poll numbers go higher & higher, the Communists, Marxists, & Fascists get more & more CRAZY with their ridiculous Indictments & Election Interference plans & plots, all controlled by an out of control, & very corrupt, DOJ/FBI,” Mr. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on July 4.

“They have WEAPONIZED Law Enforcement in America at a level not seen before.”

Mr. Smith, who was largely silent throughout the investigation, appeared to address those allegations of bias in a statement following the unsealing of Mr. Trump’s indictment on June 9.

“The prosecutors in my office are among the most talented and experienced in the Department of Justice,” he said. “They have investigated this case hewing to the highest ethical standards. And they will continue to do so as this case proceeds.

“It’s very important for me to note that the defendants in this case must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. To that end, my office will seek a speedy trial in this matter, consistent with the public interest and the rights of the accused. We very much look forward to presenting our case to a jury of citizens in the Southern District of Florida.”

Trial Timeline

The case is set to go to trial on Aug. 14, although it’s likely to be rescheduled to a later date. While Mr. Smith promised to seek a “speedy” trial in a recent court filing, he requested to continue the trial date to Dec. 11.

“In the government’s view, proceeding to trial on August 14, 2023, ‘would deny counsel for the defendant or the attorney for the Government the reasonable time necessary for effective preparation,’” the special counsel wrote in June 23 filing, noting the time it would take the defense attorneys to obtain security clearances and review all the evidence.

“The ends of justice served by granting this requested continuance ‘outweigh the best interests of the public and the defendant[s] in a speedy trial.’”

According to Mr. Smith, his team conferred with the defendants’ attorneys, who “confirmed they do not oppose an adjournment of the current trial date and request a status hearing with the Court to address the schedule in this action.”

However, he added that the defense counsel said they would likely object to the government’s proposed calendar.

The defense has yet to file a response to the Justice Department’s motion. They have until July 10 to do so.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.