So I finally had time to read the full interview with Walt Nauta. Some folks on here have called Nauta a traitor. I don't read it that way. Read page 82, they are trying to flip him
So the interview takes place on May 26 2022. So this before the search warrant at Mar a Lago. Nauta has a lawyer with him, so this wasn't casual, he wasn't caught off guard. He knew he was going to be talking the FBI that day.
- FBI opens very jokey trying to get create a light atmosphere. They are trying to get him to relax
- They inform him its voluntary. He can take breaks, he can not answer any question, he can ask them to leave the room and talk to his lawyer alone. They inform him about the law about false statements to the FBI.
- They tell him its about a sensitive investigation
They then get some info on Nauta himself. He was a Senior chief petty officer in the Navy and culinary specialist. One of the FBI agents was Navy. They banter about this. They even joke Nauta is a Navy Seal, because in the movie Under Siege Steven Seagal was an ex Navy Seal who was working as a cook.
- They ask about what he does
- It must be cool to work for the former President, fly with him etc
- Explain what he did at the White House
- WH valets are from the military and (the main task of a culinary specialist is food security) and a group within them become WH valets who also take care of the First Family
- Nauta went everywhere with Trump 7am - 3PM "Everywhere he goes, I go. 95 % of the time."
They then turn into why they want to talk to him. In Jan 2022 some boxes were sent back to the National Archives and he helped load them. They let him know classified info was found in those boxes.
- boxes were moved from Pine Hall, a room off Trump's suite.
- he didn't know what were in the boxes
- the fbi has him describe Pine Hall in detail
- first time he loaded boxes on the truck was the first time he saw those type of boxes
page 35, I just started noticing redactions marked W4 and W5, I assume that means witness
- have you ever notice Trump with a US document. NO.
- Were you aware of any government documents at the residence. NO
- Nauta left his WH job in May, so he worked there for a bit after
- He helped move stuff to FL on the last day and then flew back after
page 46, they summarize what Nauta told them....then they shift into how the documents were secured, I assume it will be less relaxed now
- Nauta didn't have full access to Mar a Lago, but he was in the "45 Office"
- They ask him if Trump had to store boxes, where would he. Nauta says he owns a lot of properties down here, so I'll say I don't know
- Were you aware that NARA was talking about these boxes with the 45 Office for a year. NO
- Did you see or hear anyone talking about looking for them? did you help? NO
- The FBI wanted to talk to Nauta for a while, but the other Mar A Lago employees didn't know his last name. He was just Walt.
Page 56. Relaxation is over
- We have a discrepancy.
- We talked other people and there's video cameras everywhere and we are getting conflicted stories about a storage room "and your presence in it."**
- Other people saw you in this storage room
- I might have been moving a box with his personal items .....WOW....hairspray and shampoo Trump tends to hoard those.
- Do you know if Mar a Lago currently has a SCIF? SCIF?
- They explain SCIF a senstive compartmented information facility and Nauta says he doesn't think a SCIF is at Mar a Lago
- They ask how does one get to the storage room with the personal items
Big
- Do you remember an incident where Trump showed a document with classification marking on a Plane. I don't recall that.
I don't think this is part of the indictment. Seems new.
- If you did know about that incident, how would you feel about it.
His attorney objects. The first time the the attorney has spoken I think. It starts to get testy. Nauta asks if they are questioning his character. His lawyer says I've given you "some leeway with the accusations of potentially lying."
They change topics.
They start asking about traveling and working at Bedminster. They are being chummy again and bringing up navy life vs "5 star" life
- They ask Nauta if W1 or W2 knows he is at the FBI office (I assume that's where this is taking place)
- W2 mentioned his own FBI interview.
- Nauta says only his lawyer knows he is there. page 76
- They ask Nauta, you work there and you know what we are looking for, if you were in our shoes who should we talk to. I DON'T KNOW
This is why I don't think Nauta is backstabbing Trump.
- They play on his military background and ask him or his lawyer to come to them if he learns anything on this classified information that needs to be secure, this "national defense information." That's language right out of the indictment. This was never just an informational interview.
- We know we are putting you in a bind lying to your boss. I didn't lie. He just assumes i'm out on a run.
- They called him a week before.
Trying to flip him? They start telling him
-
you're the low man on the totem pole, just following orders, maybe someone takes advantage and you're hung out to try.
-
The attorney says you're hinting at something can you be pointed in your questions, so Walt is clear
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OK. Who knows you're here. Did anyone tell you how to answer questions
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They talk about another room with boxes. FBI asks a bunch of questions
Page 91
- They start talking about having to protect classified info and need to know where these boxes were for over a year and Nauta's lawyer asks for a break.
- they stop recording, but it's not clear for how long
- When they come back and record again, it seems the lawyer has drawn a diagram of the different rooms.
- They clarify some details of locations and his attorney say I want to clarify he hasn't told anyone, but people at the office might be gossiping and assuming he's with the FBI
That's the last important stuff. I don't think he gave them anything.
Given that this happened way back in 2022 before the search warrant and the fact that Nauta himself has since been indicted for 8 federal crimes, it seems to me that if Nauta wanted to break with Trump he has had plenty of chances.
Great summary. Why would his attorney let him say anything? Can’t he just say plead the fif like chapelle
At that point maybe this seemed just like you know a misunderstanding. Somebody packed up the boxes wrong and they got shipped to Mar-A-Lago.
If he starts pleading the fifth not answering their questions, that might be a big giant red flag that something else occurred.
They knew the FBI had been talking to other employees. Perhaps he didn't come fully clean with his lawyer before this interview. Perhaps he could thought he could help Trump if he said there was nothing moved.
People always say pleading the 5th is a red flag. No. It is your right. Any lawyer worth their salt will tell you to claim the 5th on something like this. They were fishing and his lawyer allowed the FBI to just keep casting their lines. They can twist anything you say, including honest mistakes.
Edit - forgot to mention this. Because of what I did in the military I had a lot of Federal Agent friends from all branches as well as USSS and FBI. Several of them told me many times to remember 3 things.
None of those can be used against you - especially in court. If a prosecutor tried to say what you said about a red flag the judge at a minimum would hammer the prosecutor and instruct the jury to disregard that statement, or at worst order a mistrial.
I wanted to edit to clarify, because statements like yours can scare potential defendants into saying things that end up convicting them.
Yeah, we don't know what him or his lawyer or think were thinking and I'm speculating.
Why do think he talked?
He (and likely his idiotic lawyer) probably thought he didn't do anything wrong. That doesn't matter. You could say something completely innocent and it will be twisted against you or another defendant, simply because you know you are innocent and think talking will convince the people who are trying to put you in jail.
This is way before trial though.
We may get to see his grand jury testimony because that was raised on the court hearing Friday and neither his lawyer nor the doj objected to it