The Justice Department on Wednesday abandoned all criminal proceedings against the two co-defendants of President Donald Trump in the Florida classified documents case. U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne requested that the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals court dismiss the case against the co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, in a way that it could never be filed again.
Prosecutors informed the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that it had withdrawn the appeal, formally ending the case: “The United States of America moves to voluntarily dismiss its appeal with prejudice. The government has conferred with counsel for Appellees Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, who do not object to the voluntary dismissal.”
The DOJ had asked a federal appeals court to drop the criminal case against Nauta and De Oliveira, who were accused of conspiring to hide classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. Former special counsel Jack Smith had previously dropped two federal cases against Trump, on charges he tried to steal the 2020 election and that he unlawfully retained national defense records after leaving the White House, after he won the Nov. 5 election. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida dismissed the classified documents case against Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira in July, by ruling Smith was appointed illegitimately. Smith’s team ended its case against Trump after his November election win, citing longstanding department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be indicted.
Trump was charged with mishandling classified documents, including by willfully retaining national defense information after his presidency. Those documents allegedly included information on U.S. and foreign military capabilities. Trump valet Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager De Oliveira were charged with conspiring with Trump to obstruct an FBI investigation into the hoarding of classified documents that Tru,p took with him when he left the White House after his first term.
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