How Walt Nauta, a Personal Aide, Came to be Charged as Trump’s Co-Conspirator
On May 25, as former President Donald J. Trump was at the Saudi-backed LIV golf tournament at his course in Sterling, Va., one of his aides was photographed leaning toward him and dutifully adjusting the collar of his white pullover, a moment of closeness that had become routine for the pair.
The timing of the photograph was noteworthy: One day earlier, the aide, Walt Nauta, had been notified by the government that he was a target of a federal investigation into Mr. Trump’s handling of classified documents, suggesting that charges against Mr. Nauta were likely.
On Friday, prosecutors unsealed those charges. Mr. Nauta, a 40-year-old Navy veteran, was charged with conspiracy, making false statements and withholding documents as part of Mr. Trump’s effort to thwart the government’s attempts to reclaim the classified documents Mr. Trump had taken with him when he left the White House.
Mr. Nauta’s story is, among other things, a cautionary tale about what loyalty to Mr. Trump can bring. After serving his country in the military and serving as a valet in the White House, Mr. Nauta stayed with Mr. Trump as a personal aide — and now faces the prospect of years in federal prison for having apparently carried out his wishes.
Source: The New York Times
