Fort Pierce - Monday August 7, 2023: Former President Donald Trump has summited a not guilty plea to three additional felony charges in the Fort Pierce classified documents case against him.
He has also exercised his right not to appear in the Fort Pierce federal court this Thursday, August 10th, for his scheduled arraignment on those new charges.
Trump submitted his not guilty plea, and waived his right to appear, under Rule 10 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. The waiver was summited Friday.
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment on July 27 adding the three new charges on top of the 37 he already filed against Trump in June.
The additional charges in the superseding indictment accuse Trump of trying to “alter, destroy, mutilate, or conceal evidence," and of inducing another person to do so.
The former President is being accused of violating the Espionage Act and obstructing justice by taking classified documents with him when he left office, refusing to return them, and concealing and misleading investigators who sought the return of those documents. He has pleaded not guilty to all the allegations.
Federal District Court Judge Aileen Cannon has set a trial date of May 20, 2024.
