Scandal-plagued former President Donald Trump is currently neck deep in his infamous Manhattan Hush Money trial, which has unsurprisingly soaked up a large majority of the media’s attention over the last two weeks. However, it’s worth reminding American voters that the ex-president is still embroiled in multiple other criminal cases — including the notorious Mar-a-Lago stolen classified documents case that’s still raging against him, being spearheaded by Garland-appointed DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Among all of the commotion surrounding his Hush Money trial, a bombshell new court filing in the stolen documents case has dropped, revealing that a key unidentified witness, known only as “Person 16,” told investigators that Donald Trump offered a presidential pardon to his now-co-defendant Walt Nauta in 2024 — obviously under the assumption that he will win his bid at reelection in November — “even if he gets charged with lying to the FBI.”
The damning new information came as part of a new batch of exhibits included by Special Counsel Smith in his response to a recent Trump motion. Among those exhibits was highly incriminating testimony from the aforementioned unidentified witness in the Mar-a-Lago Espionage Act case that’s presided over by Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon.
Political investigative reporter Hugo Lowell notes that the filing confirms Smith “had cooperation from a senior Trump aide, including post-presidency.”
NEW: Partially redacted but unsealed exhibit in the Trump classified docs case shows DOJ had cooperation from a senior Trump aide, including post-presidencyhttps://t.co/EZoHEanEDB pic.twitter.com/sUCprIXddZ
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) April 22, 2024
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The partially redacted filing on “Person 16’s” witness interview with investigators was rife with damning revelations, including the following exchange regarding Trump offering Nauta a pardon:
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 was Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago “bodyman” and has since been formally indicted in the stolen classified documents case as a co-defendant alongside the former president for his role in helping to hide materials and destroy evidence of their existence at the former president’s golf resort and post-White House personal residence. Nauta has been ordered by the courts not to discuss anything involving this case with the ex-president.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
