This week’s newly released court records in the Florida lawsuit against Donald Trump reveal the extent to which Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, handled and stored secret information found at the Mar-a-Lago resort and estate in Palm Beach.
The new records reveal some of Nauta’s responses to FBI agents’ questions about the case.
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Referring to the National Archives’ attempt to obtain some classified documents during Trump’s chaotic move-out process after January 6th, Nauta told investigators: “What I recall is that every time he would leave for the evening, they would come up, and they would collect all the papers that he threw on the floor; or that, at the time, we understood that he didn’t need any more.”
Nauta provides a rare glimpse into Trump’s disorganized and hurried departure from the White House in 2021, following weeks and even months of partial and sometimes outright reluctance to collaborate with the Biden transition team.
Nauta’s testimony shows that the previous president’s advisors and departing staff received no oversight or support for their transition obligations while Trump concentrated on his efforts to reverse the election based on unfounded conspiracy theories.
Nauta, a former Navy cook who now works as a valet at a resort, is an unusual person to be at the center of a presidential probe.
The filings also provide insight into the former president’s unstable psyche at the time, which prosecutors may use to explain why he allegedly kept classified materials for personal use rather than turning them over to federal authorities.
It is unclear when Trump’s trial in Florida will actually begin. In New York, however, his hush money trial is still ongoing.
Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who alleges an affair with the former president, is due to testify on Tuesday, marking a new milestone in the trial.
Meanwhile, in Florida, the judge handling the case granted the former president’s team additional time on Monday. Judge Aileen Cannon unexpectedly extended the deadline for his team to submit a crucial filing, initially set for this Thursday. That significant submission contained a list of classified materials that they planned to offer as evidence at trial.
This is a political victory for Trump, as it makes it unlikely that he will face prosecution for mishandling sensitive materials before the November presidential election.
Trump’s team has maintained a strategy of pushing out deadlines and slow-walking the many legal issues in which he is involved. Every delay should be beneficial to the former president.
Simultaneously, Trump persists in publicly lamenting his legal entanglements to incite his supporters. The four criminal prosecutions he is currently facing contributed to a victimhood mindset that helped him defeat his opponents in the 2024 Republican primary, as Republican supporters believed his allegations of unfair judicial persecution.
