MIAMI.- A former aide to former President Donald Trump must appear this Tuesday morning before a cut federal in Miami, after being accused of collaborating with his former boss in the notorious case of alleged concealment of secret documents.
Walt Nauta was indicted earlier this month, along with Trump, in a 37-count indictment brought by special counsel Jack Smith. Two weeks ago, Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges during his appearance, which also took place in Miami.
Nauta’s hearing was delayed until Tuesday, giving him more time to find a lawyer licensed to work in the Sunshine State, according to people close to the lawsuit.
Nauta faces six charges, including several related to obstruction and concealment stemming from his alleged conduct in handling undeclassified documents found at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump resides in Palm Beach.
According to court records, Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres will preside over Tuesday’s hearing. The criminal case has been assigned to unfold in its entirety before federal judge Aileen Cannon, in Ft. Pierce, north of Miami.
Prosecutors say Nauta helped move boxes to Trump’s residence at the direction of the former president. Trump wanted to review the contents of the boxes before turning over 15 of them to the National Archives in 2022, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors alleged that Nauta lied about the incident during a May 2022 interview with the FBI, when he reportedly indicated that he was unaware of the boxes that were moved to Trump’s residence.
However, investigators obtained surveillance camera footage that would show Nauta and another Trump aide moving boxes around the property.
Earlier this month, Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman, who presided over the initial court appearance, ordered Trump and Nauta not to discuss the facts of the case with each other.
“When asked if he knew where the Trump boxes had been stored, before they were at the Trump residence and if they had been in a secure or locked location, Nauta falsely replied: ‘I wish I could tell you. I don’t know. I don’t, I honestly don’t know,’” the indictment read.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal charges for his alleged withholding of classified documents and conspiracy to conceal those documents from the government and his own lawyers.
