Witness In Bombshell New Trump Filing Says Trump Offered Pardon To Co-Defendant ‘In 2024’ — Even For ‘Lying To FBI’
AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File
A new filing in the classified documents case reveals a key witness identified only as “Person 16” says former President Donald Trump offered now-co-defendant Walt Nauta a pardon — in 2024 — “even if he gets charged with lying to the FBI.”
Trump is currently neck-deep in the Stormy Daniels hush money-election interference trial that continued into its second week Monday with opening arguments and testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.
But a new batch of exhibits that accompanied Special Counsel Jack Smith’s response to a Trump motion reveals damning new testimony in the Mar-a-Lago Espionage Act case being presided over by Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon.
The filing reveals, as Hugo Lowell put it, that Smith “had cooperation from a senior Trump aide, including post-presidency.”
That aide is listed as “Person 16” in the partially redacted filing on his witness interview with investigators, and his interview began with a chilling exchange in which he refused the protection of having his interview recorded:
Per. 16 refused recording of the interview, despite being advised that not recording the interview would be anomalous compared to other witness interviews. per 16 accepted “that risk,” stating having the interview recorded “was a far bigger risk for him in the Trump world.”
Among the many damning revelations in the testimony was this exchange about Trump pardoning Nauta:
Per. 16 has not spoken to NAUTA since the White House and did not know him. Pm16 was aware that NAUTA left the U.S. Navy to join the 45 Office. NAUTA was told by FPOTUS’ people that this investigation was not going anywhere, that it was politically motivated, and “much ado about nothing.” NAUTA was also told that if even if he gets charged with lying to the FBI, FPOTUS will pardon him in 2024.
Nauta is the Trump “body man” who was indicted along with the ex-president in Smith’s classified documents probe and has been ordered not to discuss the case with Trump.
