In a dramatic turn of events, lawyers for two co-defendants of former President Donald Trump are seeking to have charges against them dismissed in the classified documents case. Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, and Mar-a-Lago property manager, Carlos De Oliveira, are accused of conspiring with Trump to obstruct an FBI investigation into the hoarding of classified documents at the Palm Beach estate.
The defense team for Nauta and De Oliveira will argue their case before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in a Friday afternoon hearing. Special counsel Jack Smith’s team, who brought the charges against them and Trump, is opposing the dismissal request, setting the stage for a legal showdown.
While Nauta and De Oliveira are not charged with illegally storing the documents, they are accused of assisting Trump in obstructing government efforts to retrieve them. Prosecutors allege that Nauta moved boxes of documents to Trump’s residence to prevent their return to the government and that both men conspired with Trump to delete surveillance video showing the movement of the boxes.
The defense lawyers maintain that there is no evidence that their clients were aware of the sensitive nature of the documents or the ongoing government investigation. They argue that the charges against Nauta and De Oliveira should be dropped due to lack of evidence linking them to any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has also filed motions to dismiss charges against him in the case. Judge Cannon previously denied two of his motions, setting the stage for a legal battle that could have far-reaching implications. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.