Former President Donald J. Trump and an employee, Walt Nauta, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional criminal charges in the case accusing the former president of illegally holding onto secret national security documents after leaving office and conspiring to obstruct the government’s efforts to retrieve them.
The plea to the added charges was entered for Mr. Trump by one of his lawyers after an updated indictment last month that accused him of seeking to delete security footage at his Mar-a-Lago residence and club.
Mr. Trump, who was first charged and arraigned in person in June, chose not to appear at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Fla.Last week, he signed a form forgoing his appearance and indicating that he would plead not guilty.
During a 10-minute hearing Thursday, Todd Blanche, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, told a magistrate judge that he had discussed the expanded charges with his client, who “has authorized me to enter a plea of not guilty.”Two Trump employees whom prosecutors also accused of conspiring to delete the footage, Mr. Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, were also charged in the revised indictment and appeared at the hearing.
Persons:
Donald J, Trump, Walt Nauta, Todd Blanche, “, Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira
Organizations:
Mr, Trump
Locations:
Fort Pierce, Fla