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An FBI interview transcript released late Thursday reveals that former President Donald Trump’s aide opened a box of classified documents that is currently at the center of the special counsel’s case, including classified documents from the Trump White House. It details how it characterized the mishandling of
New court documents also reveal how investigators explained the dangers of the investigation to Walt Nauta, who is now facing several obstruction-related charges in the case. .
In much of the May 2022 interview, Nauta claimed to know about the layout of Mar-a-Lago, where the boxes containing President Trump’s items from the White House were kept, and that the boxes He explained the evaluation of what was inside. The former president’s aides have repeatedly claimed that they believe Trump kept news clippings, hairspray, shampoo, picture frames and other miscellaneous materials in the box.
Nauta is charged with conspiracy to conceal documents and lying during questioning to the FBI about the location and movement of boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago. He pleaded not guilty.
U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon will present a lightly redacted version of the transcript to Nauta ahead of Friday’s hearing, where she plans to argue that Special Counsel Jack Smith’s charges should be dismissed. Permission was granted to submit.
At one point during the interrogation, investigators asked Nauta whether he knew that President Trump had shown classified documents to people on the plane, according to the transcript. The indictment against Trump does not allege any such events.
Nauta told investigators he was unaware of or had never heard of such an incident. He told investigators that he typically sat in the back of the plane when traveling with the former president.
CNN has reached out to Trump’s representatives for comment.
At the beginning of the more than 100-page transcript, FBI agents explain to Mr. Nauta, who served in the military, why they were interested in the whereabouts of classified government documents, detailing even the most trivial details. He emphasized that it could be useful in the investigation. review.
Investigators added that they were trying to determine whether the classified documents were “held in an at least somewhat controlled environment” or “may have been exposed to foreign intelligence.”
Investigators said if certain information may have been leaked, intelligence agencies must be notified, who can decide whether to shut down certain operations.
“We have to shut it down so it’s not worth the risk, because we don’t want to risk these people’s lives, we don’t want, we ‘Because we don’t want people to know, for example,’ our ships have these capabilities,” said one FBI agent.
The agent added: “But wouldn’t it be a lot easier if we could definitely communicate X, Y, and Z and know exactly what needs to be shut down and what doesn’t need to be shut down? That’s kind of why we’re investigating.”
Mr. Nauta has denied telling Mr. Trump that he was sitting in the press conference, and records show that Mr. Nauta said he told Mr. Trump that he was “going to run away.”
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