The Justice Department has dropped all criminal charges against two co-defendants of former President Donald Trump in the classified documents case. Walt Nauta, Trump’s valet, and Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, were previously accused of conspiring with Trump to obstruct an FBI investigation into the retention of classified documents after Trump left office.
The case was dismissed in July by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that the special counsel, Jack Smith, had been improperly appointed by the Justice Department. Smith’s team had ended its case against Trump after his November election victory, citing a long-standing policy that sitting presidents cannot be indicted.
On Wednesday, prosecutors informed the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that they were withdrawing their appeal against Nauta and De Oliveira, formally closing the case. “The United States of America moves to voluntarily dismiss its appeal with prejudice,” the prosecutors wrote. “The government has conferred with counsel for Appellees Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, who do not object to the voluntary dismissal.”
The Justice Department had previously agreed not to release Smith’s report on the classified documents investigation while the case against Nauta and De Oliveira was ongoing. However, with the appeal now dismissed, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have requested access to the report from Acting Attorney General James McHenry. They argue that they need to review the document as they prepare to consider the nomination of Kash Patel for FBI director. Patel testified before the grand jury in the investigation in 2022 after being granted immunity.
It is widely expected that the Trump administration will keep the report permanently confidential.
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