In late November 2021, newly unsealed documents revealed that one of former President Donald J. Trump’s associates had strongly advised him to return a trove of records he had taken from the White House when he left office. The associate urged Mr. Trump to give everything back to avoid the risk of indictment. Less than two years later, Mr. Trump was indeed charged with violating the Espionage Act for illegally holding onto over 30 highly classified documents. The associate’s interview with federal agents, in which he warned Mr. Trump about the potential consequences, was among nearly 400 pages of investigative records unsealed by the judge overseeing Mr. Trump’s case.
The unnamed associate, identified as Person 16 in the unsealed records, recounted approaching Mr. Trump at Mar-a-Lago and advising him to return the materials to the archives. Person 16 described Mr. Trump’s reaction as a “weird ‘you’re the man’ type of response,” indicating that Mr. Trump seemed to acknowledge the advice. Person 16 also mentioned that some of Mr. Trump’s children were involved in persuading him to return the records, with one child being informed that the boxes belonged to the government and it was not worth the aggravation to keep them. The unsealed records provided additional details about the situation but did not significantly alter the basic story of the classified documents case against Mr. Trump.
Among the unsealed exhibits was a minute-by-minute timeline of the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago property in August 2022, documenting the agents’ actions in gaining access to Mr. Trump’s safe and transporting evidence seized during the search to Washington. The FBI even discussed conducting “loose” surveillance of Mr. Trump’s airplane to check for any boxes being loaded onto the plane. Person 16’s interview with the FBI was particularly informative, with the person giving candid details about members of Mr. Trump’s legal team and suggesting that Mr. Trump may have promised his aide, Walt Nauta, a pardon if re-elected in 2024.
Despite the additional details revealed in the unsealed records, Judge Aileen M. Cannon has yet to issue a decision on the underlying motion in Mr. Trump’s case. The motion, filed by Mr. Trump’s lawyers, seeks access to communications between prosecutors from the special counsel and officials at the archives, as well as national security and intelligence agencies. The lawyers hope to use this information to strengthen their potential trial defense, claiming that members of the so-called “deep state” conspired with the Biden administration to bring charges against Mr. Trump.
Overall, the unsealed documents shed light on the interactions between Mr. Trump, his associates, and the FBI regarding the classified documents case. They provide insight into the efforts to retrieve the records from Mr. Trump’s possession and the various tactics employed during the investigation. The details shared by Person 16 in their interview with the FBI offer a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes conversations and dynamics at play in the case against Mr. Trump. The unsealed records contribute to the ongoing legal proceedings and discussions surrounding the handling of classified information and presidential records.
