Former Trump adviser Walt Nauta’s arraignment on allegations that he helped the former president conceal sensitive materials from the FBI has been pushed back to July 6.
Special counsel, Jack Smith of the Department of Justice, issued a 37-count indictment against Trump and Natta earlier this month. Trump pled not guilty to the allegations earlier this month, and Nauta’s arraignment was delayed, so he might have more time to get an attorney in Florida.
The accusation states that Nauta conspired with Trump to hide documents the president had taken from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. An attorney representing Trump was entrusted with examining the residence for secret data to be surrendered to the government, and prosecutors claim that Nauta relocated boxes containing documents carrying classification marks to hide them from him.
Prosecutors claim this led to misleading claims of having conducted a “diligent search” for classified materials and delivered all papers relevant to demand.
Nauta, a former member of the United States Navy who now works as a cook for Trump, first served the president as a valet. It was said that he was the one who brought Trump his daily Diet Coke and other food and who waited outside the Oval Office when there were crucial meetings.
He eventually quit the Navy to become Trump’s assistant at Mar-a-Lago. On the day of their court appearance earlier this month in Miami, he rode in Trump’s motorcade and joined the president and his legal team for lunch at Versailles, a popular Cuban restaurant.
The Justice Department requested a delay from the judge’s original August trial date and recommended a new date of December 11 last week. The Justice Department had requested that the names of 84 prospective witnesses they wanted Trump to be ordered not to make contact with be filed under secrecy with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, but she refused the request. According to her, the Justice Department did not justify filing the list with the court or keeping it under wraps from the general public.
On Monday night, Donald Trump claimed new tape ‘exonerated’ him and that the special counsel was “deranged” because it showed him talking and showing off a secret paper concerning potential military action in Iran.
In a two-minute clip by CNN, the ex-president discusses the classified materials he brought when he left office but did not declassify. The chat has assumed critical importance in light of special counsel Smith’s indictment of Trump, which includes 37 charges.
