Donald Trump is poised to enter an initial plea to respond to historic charges accusing him of mishandling top-secret government documents and conspiring to obstruct justice as the US sought to recover them — the first time a former president has been indicted in a federal case.
Trump arrived at the Miami courthouse Tuesday afternoon ahead of the hearing. He was taken into custody and will have his fingerprints taken; he won’t be required to have his mug shot taken, according to court officials.
Prosecutors claim Trump kept highly sensitive papers at his Mar-a-Lago resort, some of which they say address nuclear programs and military attack plans. The indictment accuses Trump of 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act, which carry prison sentences as long as 10 years. Other charges carry up to 20-year maximum terms.
At an arraignment, a defendant is formally notified of the charges and typically enters an initial plea in response to the charges. The magistrate judge also sets the terms of release before a trial, and may set out a schedule for future hearings and establish rules around sharing evidence. Trump, 76, has vowed to plead not guilty.
Read More: Trump Heads to Court to Start Fighting Espionage Act Charges
Walt Nauta, Trump’s former White House valet and post-presidency personal aide, will appear alongside his boss at Tuesday’s hearing. He’s charged with six counts alleging he was part of a conspiracy to obstruct the government’s investigation into the classified material in Trump’s possession. Nauta, a Navy veteran, is not charged with any of the Espionage Act offenses that Trump faces in the indictment.
Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican nomination for next year’s presidential race, has denied wrongdoing and assailed the case as politically motivated. He has called it a “ridiculous and baseless” case and “a disgusting act of election interference by the ruling party.”
Trump is being represented by attorneys Todd Blanche and Chris Kise, at least for now; a person familiar with the situation previously told Bloomberg News that the former president is exploring other options to bring on Florida counsel.
He is appearing before US Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman. Following the initial hearing in Miami, the case will move to the West Palm Beach division of the south Florida federal district court; US District Judge Aileen Cannon already has been assigned to preside going forward, barring a recusal fight.
Read More: Trump’s Own Words Play a Star Role in the Case Against Him
Trump faces mounting legal threats as he pursues a second term. The federal case against him, brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith, follows a New York state criminal case set for trial in Manhattan in March. That prosecution is over hush money payments made to a porn star just ahead of the 2016 election Trump won. He has pleaded not guilty and said it’s part of a larger political effort to take him down.
Trump also faces potential state charges in Georgia for allegations he interfered in the 2020 election result and federal charges related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
(updates with details from courthouse and Trump’s valet in the first and fifth graph)
