Donald Trump and Walt Nauta plead not guilty to latest charges in documents case

Donald Trump and his close personal aide Walt Nauta have pleaded not guilty to the latest allegations in the federal classified documents case.

The fresh charges accuse the two men and a third aide of conspiring to conceal surveillance footage at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort from the FBI. The former president, 77, and Walt Nauta had already pleaded not guilty to previous charges against them.

Donald Trump is fighting on multiple fronts as he mounts his third White House bid.

The documents case is led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is also overseeing a separate indictment of  Trump over his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Smith’s office on Thursday recommended to a federal court in Washington DC that Mr Trump face trial in the election case on 2 January 2024. In June, he charged the ex-president with 37 counts, for retaining hundreds of confidential files – including about US nuclear secrets and military plans – after leaving office and for lying to investigators.

Walt Nauta, a former Trump White House military valet turned personal aide, was also charged in the indictment and accused of moving files to hide them from the FBI.

(BBC)