Trump, aide Walt Nauta plead not guilty to new charges in classified docs case

Former President Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to new charges related to classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago, the second time in one week he has denied allegations brought by federal prosecutors as he remained the GOP front-runner for the White House in 2024. 

U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard formally accepted the plea from Trump, who told the judge in court papers last week that he is not guilty and waived his right to appear at the Thursday hearing in person. Trump’s aide Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager of Mar-a-Lago, were both present for Thursday’s hearing. 

Nauta also pleaded not guilty to the superseding indictment. De Oliveira was unable to enter a plea in the case because he still has not secured a Florida-based attorney, which is required under local court rules. His arraignment was therefore pushed back a second time and is now scheduled for Aug. 15. 

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Waltine Nauta, personal aide to former President Trump, arrives at the Alto Lee Adams Sr. U.S. Courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Aug.10, 2023. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

De Oliveira and Nauta appeared in the federal court in Fort Pierce, Florida, on an updated indictment, brought by special counsel Jack Smith, alleging they schemed with the Republican former president and current 2024 GOP front-runner to try to delete Mar-a-Lago surveillance video sought by investigators.

Carlos De Oliveira, property manager of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, arrives at the Alto Lee Adams Sr. U.S. Courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, on August 10, 2023. His arraignment was delayed a second time. (EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira face charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice in the case stemming from secret government documents found at Trump’s Palm Beach club after he left the White House in 2021. De Oliveira made his first court appearance in the case last week when he was released on a $100,000 bond but could not be arraigned without retaining a Florida lawyer. Nauta’s own arraignment had also been delayed several times under similar circumstances. 

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Trump has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in three different cases this year as he tries to reclaim the White House in 2024. The Republican has denied any wrongdoing and has characterized all the cases against him as politically motivated.

Walt Nauta, personal aide to former President Trump, pleaded not guilty during a court appearance in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Aug. 10, 2023. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump pleaded not guilty in Washington, D.C., federal court last week in a second case brought by Smith that accuses Trump of conspiring with allies to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

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The updated indictment in the documents case raises allegations about surveillance footage at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. Trump is alleged to have asked for the footage to be deleted after FBI and Justice Department investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents he took with him after leaving the White House.

The former president and his team deny the new allegations and have publicly stated that the footage was turned over  to authoritiees.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.