MIAMI — The arraignment of Waltine Nauta — Donald Trump’s personal aide who was also indicted in the classified documents case — was delayed Tuesday because Nauta has not yet hired a lawyer who can practice in Florida.
Nauta appeared alongside Trump in a Miami courthouse on June 13, when the former president pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal charges in the government’s case accusing him of illegally retaining classified documents and hiding them from federal authorities.
Two weeks later, Nauta still has not hired Florida counsel and was unable to tell the judge if he would plead guilty or not guilty to the six charges against him — a necessary step in criminal proceedings.
The government has accused Nauta of moving boxes filled with top-secret government materials for the former president at his Florida residence and private club and then helping hide them from federal officials who demanded them back.
Nauta was not present at the brief hearing. Stan Woodward — Nauta’s D.C.-based lawyer who appeared in court Tuesday but was unable to enter his client’s plea because he is not accredited to practice in Florida — told the magistrate judge that his client tried to make it to Miami, but “spent over eight hours” at Newark airport Monday, including three hours sitting in a plane that never took off.
“He expresses his sincere condolences to the court,” Woodward added.
Nauta — a loyal body man to Trump in the White House who continued to work for the former president in Florida after he left office — was jointly indicted with the former president on five criminal charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, concealing a document and scheming to conceal a material fact in a federal investigation. Nauta, 40, was also charged with making false statements to law enforcement.
He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge against him.
It’s unclear when Trump and Nauta’s trial will begin. Judge Aileen M. Cannon, the federal judge in Florida assigned to oversee the case, has set a trial date in August.
But prosecutors said last week that such a fast start date would not be possible for a case that hinges on classified documents and requested that the trial begin in December instead. Under federal law, cases that use classified materials as evidence require additional pretrial proceedings to ensure that the jury and defense attorneys can view the evidence while protecting the nation’s secrets.
Trump’s attorneys do not yet have the required security clearance to view the classified materials, prosecutors said in their filing.
On Monday, Cannon scheduled an initial pretrial conference in the high-profile criminal case against Trump for July 14. The hearing will focus on the procedures required to use the highly sensitive government documents Trump is accused of keeping in a jury trial. Cannon said Trump’s presence will not be required.
Woodward said in court Tuesday that once Nauta has a local attorney, that attorney will ask the court to delay the July 14 hearing.
“There are a number of logistical hurdles in the coming weeks,” Woodward said.