Jack Smith Argues Codefendant Lacks Merit to Dismiss Charges for Vindictive Prosecution in Trump Case

Prosecutors refuted Mr. Nauta’s claim of vindictive prosecution as ‘punishment’ for his decision not to accept an invitation to appear before the grand jury.

Walt Nauta, valet to former President Donald Trump and a co-defendant in federal charges filed against Trump leaves with lawyer, Stanley Woodward, at the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building in Miami, Fla., on July 6, 2023. Alon Skuy/Getty Images

Special counsel Jack Smith argued in a filing on Friday that Trump codefendant Walt Nauta failed to provide evidence of his assertions of selective and vindictive prosecution in his motion to dismiss charges in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.

Among the several motions to dismiss filed by Mr. Nauta in the case, Judge Aileen Cannon has already dismissed motions based on unconstitutional vagueness and the Presidential Records Act. Mr. Nauta’s motion to dismiss based on selective and vindictive prosecution is among the two remaining.