Washington — According to three sources familiar with the matter, Donald Trump allegedly discussed sensitive information about American nuclear submarines with an Australian billionaire during his stay at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The individual in question, Anthony Pratt, has been identified as a potential witness in special counsel Jack Smith’s case against the former president, as confirmed by sources at CBS News.
The special counsel has charged Trump with 32 counts of the unlawful retention of national defense information due to the discovery of over 300 classified documents at his Palm Beach estate after he left office. Additionally, the former president and two of his aides are accused of obstructing the investigation. All parties involved have pleaded not guilty.
CBS News has confirmed that there is no evidence suggesting the former president shared any sensitive records with Anthony Pratt.
Anthony Pratt is not facing any accusations of wrongdoing.
ABC News initially reported Trump’s conversations with Pratt, while the New York Times first reported Pratt’s potential involvement in the upcoming criminal trial.
The special counsel’s office has chosen not to comment, and there has been no response from Anthony Pratt’s representatives.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in this case and described the stories about his conversations with Pratt as “false and ridiculous.” On his social media site, he wrote, “I will often state that we make the best Submarines and Military Equipment anywhere in the World—A pretty well known fact. These fake stories are put out by corrupt prosecutors trying to interfere with the Presidential Election of 2024.”
While the exact nature of the conversations and the seriousness with which prosecutors view the allegations remain unclear, Pratt’s discussions with Trump could be presented at trial to support the special counsel’s argument that the former president mishandled sensitive information.
According to one source familiar with the matter, at least some of Trump’s discussions with Pratt about U.S. nuclear submarines’ capabilities took place while Trump was president and Australia was under contract to purchase French submarines. Pratt was uncertain about the accuracy of Trump’s comments and considered the story as an example of the former president’s desire to emphasize American military products’ superiority.
In 2021, President Biden, along with leaders from Australia and the U.K., announced a partnership that would grant Australia access to American nuclear submarine technology. This resulted in the cancellation of Australia’s $100 billion contract with France, leading to the French government’s dissatisfaction.
The special counsel accuses Trump of showing other individuals sensitive government records on at least two occasions after leaving office, including a Defense Department memo containing classified information about potential plans for attacking Iran. According to a recording obtained by CBS News, Trump can be heard describing the document as “highly confidential, secret information.” The indictment refers to this alleged meeting with “a writer, a publisher, and two members of” Trump’s staff, none of whom had security clearance.
The trial against Trump is scheduled for May 2024 in the Southern District of Florida and pertains to his alleged refusal to return classified government records to the National Archives after leaving office. Reporting by Margaret Brennan contributed to this article.
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