‘Everything is for sale’: Internet fumes as court records reveal Trump’s co-defendant Walt Nauta was promised pardon after 2024 election

WASHINGTON, DC: Court records indicate that the valet and co-defendant of Donald Trump in their federal confidential documents case was reportedly told that he would be granted a pardon if the former president is elected to a second term in office, according to the New York Post.

Notably, a cooperating witness in the case allegedly told the FBI about the purported pardon pledge in November 2022, one year before a Florida grand jury indicted Trump and Walt Nauta for concealing confidential White House documents.

Trump's co-defendant Walt Nauta promised pardon after 2024 election

The FBI’s heavily redacted notes from an interview with a former Trump White House employee, identified as 'Person 16', stated, "Nauta was told by [Trump’s] people that this investigation was not going anywhere, that it was politically motivated, and ‘much ado about nothing'."

The witness informed the bureau, "Nauta was also told that if even if he gets charged with lying to the FBI, [Trump] will pardon him in 2024."

Notably, the document characterizes 'Person 16' as a former employee of Trump's White House who visited the former president's Mar-a-Lago residence many times starting in 2021 and had 'free access' to both Trump and the Oval Office.

However, the witness refused to have his FBI interview videotaped out of concern about possible retaliation.

The memo noted, "Person 16 refused recording of the interview, despite being advised that not recording the interview would be anomalous compared to other witness interviews. Person 16 accepted ‘that risk,’ stating having the interview recorded ‘was a far bigger risk for him in the Trump world'."

However, it's unclear how the witness found out about the purported Nauta pardon scheme and who told Nauta about it. 

Furthermore, the Justice Department claims that during Nauta's FBI interview, which took place one month before Person 16's, the former Navy sailor misled the agency on the whereabouts and movements of boxes containing White House papers at Mar-a-Lago.

According to his interview transcript, Nauta admitted to FBI investigators that he had misled Trump into believing that he was going for a jog rather than talking to agents tasked with the investigation of secret papers.

In the lawsuit, Nauta and Trump have both entered not-guilty pleas.

Internet reacts to Walt Nauta being promised pardon after 2024 election

People on the Internet shared their opinions as Walt Nauta was reportedly told that he would be granted a pardon if the former president is elected to a second term in office.

A user wrote on X, "Huh, that sounds very crimey" while one added, "Idk. Do you think he’ll take the risk of committing perjury with the hope that Trump will win the election?"

A user added, "I feel like he's in for a big surprise" whereas one mentioned, "I think that's the expectation of a LOT of MAGA supporters and J6 insurrectionists. Let's hope they are all deeply disappointed on November 6th!"

A person also stated, "It's time to reign in the pardon power. It's absurd Trump has been allowed to abuse it the way he has already, yet nothing has been done about it."

Another wrote, "In trumps administration, everything is for sale or trade."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.