Walt Nauta, Trump aide indicted in classified documents case, pleads not guilty

Washington — Waltine "Walt" Nauta, former President Donald Trump's employee and an ex-White House aide, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to federal charges alleging he helped Trump obstruct the Justice Department's investigation into the former president's handling of classified documents.

Nauta appeared for a brief arraignment hearing in federal court in Miami on Thursday, and an attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. Nauta's defense lawyers had asked the judge to delay his arraignment twice in recent weeks so he could secure local representation. His team now includes Sasha Dadan, his newly hired Florida-based attorney.

In the indictment handed down last month by a federal grand jury in Florida that had been convened by special counsel Jack Smith, Nauta was charged with six counts related to the documents investigation, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and concealing records. Five of those counts named Trump as a co-defendant.