Who is Walt Nauta? Background explored as Donald Trump’s Aide charged in classified documents case

Walt Nauta, an aide to former President Donald Trump, has been indicted in special counsel’s classified documents probe alongside the former president. The justice department unsealed the indictment against Trump on Friday, June 9. The indictment that accuses Trump of mishandling national security documents names his aide Walt Nauta as a co-conspirator.

On Thursday, Trump via his social media app, The Truth Social, revealed that he is facing federal charges under the Espionage Act. The charges stem from special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of reports of Trump carrying classified documents to the Mar-a-Lago Florida resort after he left the White House in 2021.

As previously reported, last year, 11,000 documents were seized from Trump's Florida resort Mar-a-Lago after it was searched by the FBI. The documents reportedly included several top secret classified information. It is against the law for officials, including presidents, to remove and take classified documents to an unauthorized location.

The indictment unsealed on Friday, revealed during Trump’s presidency and after, Walt Nauta, a Navy veteran, worked for Trump as a military aide, a role described as a valet/personal assistant. At the time, Nauta allegedly assisted the former president in packing the documents from the White House and helped in transporting them to Mar-a-Lago in 2021.

Prosecutors alleged that Nauta lied about the classified documents being taken out of the White House when interviewed by the FBI in May 2022. Nauta reportedly denied the documents had been transported out of the White House. The document stated:

“Nauta did, in fact, know that the boxes in Pine Hall had come from the Storage Room, as Nauta himself, with the assistance of Trump Employee 2, had moved the boxes from the Storage Room to Pine Hall; and Nauta had observed the boxes in and moved them to various locations at The Mar-a-Lago Club.”

Multiple reports stated that Nauta faces six charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding records, concealing documents and making false statements. Trump faces seven charges, including mishandling classified documents, Falsifying records and obstructing efforts to investigate.

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Walt Nauta has been serving Donald Trump as an executive assistant since 2021

On Friday, Donald Trump defended his aide Walt Nauta via his social media app The Truth Social stating that the Department of Justice was trying to destroy an innocent man’s life. He said:

“They are trying to destroy his life, like the lives of so many others, hoping that he will say bad things about ‘Trump.’ He is strong, brave, and a Great Patriot. The FBI and DOJ are CORRUPT!”

He added:

“[Nauta] served proudly with me in the White House, retired as Senior Chief, and then transitioned into private life as a personal aide.”

According to Washington Post, Walt Nauta, whose first name is Waltine, was born in the U.S. Territory of Agat, Guam. Nauta enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2001. Per his service record cited by the Post, in 2012, he served in Washington, D.C., as part of the Presidential Food Service before rising through the ranks to become a Senior Chief Culinary Specialist in 2021.

Per the Indictment, In August 2021, Nauta became an executive assistant to Donald Trump and has been serving in that capacity since Trump exited the White House.

This is the second time this year Donald Trump has been indicted on criminal charges. In April, Trump was charged with a crime related to a “hush money” payment to an adult film actress while he was running for the presidency in 2016.

Trump has reportedly been summoned to appear in Florida federal court on Tuesday, June 13.