Federal judge has unsealed the grand jury interview of Waltine Nauta, a personal aide to former President Donald Trump and a co-defendant in the documents case. Nauta’s interview with the grand jury in Washington was made public on April 26, as part of U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon’s recent series of orders regarding what information may be made public in the case against the former president.
Nauta was interviewed before the grand jury on June 21, 2022, and stated that he had little knowledge of classified information. He answered questions about documents and boxes in President Trump’s possession, saying he would not have had knowledge of what was in any documents he may have been asked to move.
Nauta’s counsel has been seeking the release of the transcript since last summer, arguing that it shows Nauta was never involved in the alleged willful concealment of classified information. The release of the interview is part of the defense’s effort to argue selective and vindictive prosecution.
Judge Cannon is presiding over a historic case alleging President Trump mishandled classified documents after leaving office, with charges against his aide and Mar-a-Lago property manager as co-conspirators. Numerous motions to dismiss have been filed between the three defendants, and Judge Cannon has already dismissed motions based on unconstitutional vagueness and the Presidential Records Act.
The release of the grand jury interview is a significant development in the case, providing insight into the investigation and the defense’s strategy. It comes as President Trump faces intense scrutiny over his handling of classified documents and his attacks on the justice system.
