Ex-President Donald Trump and his assistant, Walt Nauta, both entered not-guilty pleas on Thursday concerning fresh accusations linked to Trump’s management of classified documents. ABC News has disclosed that his plea was submitted via his legal representative, Todd Blanche, without Trump being present in person.
Initially, Trump faced 37 counts, all of which he denied, a stance mirrored by Nauta in his own charges. However, last month, Special Counsel Jack Smith intensified the legal battle, introducing further charges against Trump, Nauta, and Mar-a-Lago’s estate manager, Carlos De Oliveira. These allegations claim they plotted to erase security footage from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, where the confidential files were located and supposedly hindered the federal probe.
Smith’s focus seems unwavering as he proposes a trial on Jan. 2, aligning with charges accusing Trump of efforts to overturn the 2020 electoral outcome, as highlighted by The Associated Press.
While Trump, a leading figure in the GOP primary surveys, denied the four charges associated with the 2020 election incident, the proposed trial date stands crucial. If sanctioned, it precedes the Iowa caucuses scheduled for Jan. 15, marking the inaugural event of the 2024 presidential contest.
Smith emphasized the weight of this trial in a recent court document, pointing out the unprecedented nature of the situation: a former president alleged to have plotted against a legitimate electoral outcome.
Trump, on his platform TruthSocial, dismissed the allegations as baseless. “These accusations are politically motivated, hastily made by opponents aiming to misuse the law for electoral gains,” he argued.
Furthermore, in another potential twist, District Attorney Fani Willis of Fulton County anticipates another indictment against Trump and his associates concerning purported attempts to reverse the 2020 presidential results in Georgia, potentially becoming the fourth such charge against him.”