A federal judge, Aileen Cannon, has denied motions from two co-defendants of former President Trump in the Mar-a-Lago case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, seeking to dismiss the charges against them.
Nauta, Trump’s valet, and De Oliveira, the property manager, are accused of assisting Trump in moving boxes across Mar-a-Lago to conceal them from law enforcement and Trump’s attorney.
In her order, Judge Cannon rejected the defendants’ requests for a more detailed breakdown of their charges, stating that the indictment provides sufficient information for them to prepare for trial.
Donald Trump (Credits: Vogue)
She also dismissed their argument that they were unaware of the boxes’ contents, ruling that this claim should be presented as a defense at trial rather than a reason for dismissing the case.
Judge Cannon wrote, “Any particular challenges to the Special Counsel’s evidentiary showing can be made at trial, where the Special Counsel will bear the entire burden of proof as to all essential elements of the obstruction offenses.” This decision comes as Judge Cannon has yet to rule on numerous motions filed by Trump himself, seeking to have the case dismissed.
Donald J. Trump (Credits: Variety)
The Mar-a-Lago case revolves around allegations that Trump illegally retained classified documents at his Florida residence and obstructed law enforcement efforts to retrieve them. A special counsel is prosecuting the case, and Judge Cannon’s rulings will likely have huge implications for the ongoing legal proceedings.
