Trump pleads not guilty in classified documents case

Trump’s not guilty plea, entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman in federal court in Miami, will set the stage for a legal battle in the coming months that experts say could take a year or more before a trial takes place.

Donald Trump denies me in the lost documents case 1 — Former President Donald Trump is seen in a car as he leaves court in Miami, Florida, U.S. on June 13, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Mr Trump, wearing a blue suit and red tie, frowned and leaned back in his chair but did not speak during the 47-minute hearing. He was allowed to leave the courthouse without conditions or restrictions on his movements and was not required to post bail. However, Judge Goodman ruled that he would not be allowed to contact witnesses in the case.

Trump aide Walt Nauta, who was also charged in the case, appeared in court with Trump but will not have to plead guilty until June 27 because he does not have a local attorney. He was also released without bail and ordered not to speak to other witnesses.

Supporters chanted “We love Trump” as his motorcade left the courthouse at 3:55 p.m. local time Tuesday, about two hours after it arrived. It was Trump’s second visit to the courtroom in recent months. He pleaded not guilty in April to state charges in New York over hush money payments to a porn star.

Donald Trump denies me in the lost documents case 2 — A Trump supporter outside the court. Photo: Reuters

Attorney Jack Smith, who is leading the prosecution, accused Mr Trump of endangering national security by taking thousands of sensitive documents with him when he left the White House in January 2021 and storing them haphazardly at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and his New Jersey golf club.

Photos included in the indictment show boxes of documents stored in a ballroom, in a bathroom and scattered across a warehouse floor. The indictment adds that the files include information about the U.S.’s secret nuclear program and potential U.S. vulnerabilities in the event of an attack.

The 37-count indictment alleges that Trump lied to officials seeking to retrieve them. It also alleges that Trump conspired with Nauta to keep the classified documents and hide them from investigators. Nauta worked for Trump at the White House and at Mar-a-Lago.

In this case, Mr. Trump is accused of violating the Espionage Act, in which the crimes of illegally possessing national defense information and conspiring to obstruct justice carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

However, recent events have not dampened Mr Trump’s hopes of returning to the White House. After his impeachment, he will fly from Miami to his New Jersey golf club, where he is expected to deliver a speech. Nor does the incident appear to affect his position as the Republican front-runner in the 2024 US presidential election.

Huy Hoang (according to Reuters, AP)

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