Fort Pierce - Monday July 8, 2024: District Court Judge Aileen Cannon on Saturday issued an order denying a motion from Trump's lawyers to throw out the charges against Walt Nauta, Trump's personal valet, who is a co-defendant in the Fort Pierce classified documents case.
Trump's lawyers had argued, among other things, that Nauta was charged because of insufficient cooperation with prosecutors' investigation and because of a personal animus that they say prosecutors harbored against one of Nauta's attorneys.
Special counsel Jack Smith's team has denied all the claims, and Cannon in her four-page order Saturday said Nauta had not met the high bar required to get the case dismissed.
Nauta and another co-defendant, Mar-a-Lago property manager, Carlos De Oliveira, are accused of conspiring with Trump to conceal evidence from investigators as they sought to recover classified documents that were taken to the Palm Beach, Florida property after Trump's presidency ended.
All three men have pleaded not guilty.
Trump has also sought to dismiss the case against himself. Judge Cannon pointedly noted at the conclusion of her Saturday order: “This Order shall not be construed as commenting on the merits of Defendant Trump’s Motion to Dismiss the Indictment Based on Selective and Vindictive Prosecution or on any other motion pending before the Court.”