Judge Aileen Cannon has ruled for the public disclosure of the FBI’s interview with Walt Nauta, who served as a valet driver for former President Trump.
Walt Nauta, a former White House staffer and Navy veteran, worked as a valet for Trump and also served as a personal staffer at Mar-a-Lago.
Per the transcript of the May 2022 interview, the FBI interrogated Trump’s aide Walt Nauta without Trump’s knowledge.
The FBI agents approached Walt Nauta and requested a voluntary interview, citing national security concerns, similar tactics used in the General Flynn ambush.
“On May 26, 2022, NAUTA participated in a voluntary interview with the FBI. During the interview, the FBI explained to NAUTA that the FBI was investigating how classified documents had been kept at The Mar-a-Lago Club, and the FBI asked NAUTA questions about the location and movement of TRUMP’s boxes before TRUMP provided 15 boxes to NARA on January 17, 2022. NAUTA was represented by counsel, and the FBI advised NAUTA that the interview was voluntary and that he could leave at any time. The FBI also advised NAUTA that it was a criminal offense to lie to the FBI,” according to the indictment.
Based on the recently disclosed transcript, the FBI interrogated Walt Nauta without Trump being informed.
“As far as [Trump] knows, I’m out jogging,” Walt Nauta told FBI agents when asked if Trump was aware he was in a secret meeting with the FBI.
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The FBI agents also tried to push Walt Nauta into confessing that his role in the Navy was more than just that of a cook. They alleged that he used his cook position as a ‘cover.’
“I wish I was something – I wish I was Steven Seagal, but no,” Nauta told the agents.
The agents insisted Trump got “some stuff going on with this Russia stuff.”
As it turned out, it was a perjury trap, leading to Walt Nauta’s indictment alongside Trump in Jack Smith’s case involving classified documents.
Special Counsel Jack Smith brought forth 37 federal charges against Trump in Miami last June.
Trump faced 31 charges of willful retention of national defense information and six additional counts related to procedural violations arising from discussions with his attorney.
According to the federal indictment, Nauta was charged along with Trump in counts 32, 33, 43, 35, and 36.
Walt Nauta was told to relocate boxes following Trump’s receipt of a subpoena in May 2023 for classified documents, as outlined in the charging documents.
The charges encompass conspiracy, withholding documents or records, corrupt concealment of documents or records, hiding documents in a federal investigation, and a scheme to conceal.
Walt Nauta was also charged alone in count 38: False statements and misrepresentations.
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