Who is Anthony Pratt? Trump allegedly shared classified nuclear submarine info with Australian businessman
MIAMI, FLORIDA: Former President Donald Trump is facing serious allegations of sharing potentially classified information regarding US nuclear submarines with Australian businessman Anthony Pratt.
Sources familiar with the matter have spoken to ABC News and The New York Times, shedding light on this startling revelation.
The incident allegedly occurred during a conversation at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's opulent Florida compound, in April 2021. Trump, according to unnamed sources cited by ABC News, disclosed the exact number of nuclear warheads carried by US submarines and detailed how close these submarines could approach Russian vessels without detection.
It is crucial to note that this conversation reportedly took place several months after Trump had left the White House in 2021.
Anthony Pratt's involvement
Anthony Pratt, a billionaire and the owner of Pratt Industries, a prominent US-based cardboard company, is said to be a member of Trump's exclusive luxury club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Following the discovery of this information, federal prosecutors who were already investigating Trump's handling of classified documents interviewed Pratt regarding the conversation.
The former president now faces a staggering 40 felony counts, including willful retention of national defense information, in connection to the Justice Department's investigation of classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022.
Special counsel Jack Smith is leading the Justice Department's investigation into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified information, which began after the 2020 election. Sources close to the matter reveal that Pratt has been interviewed at least twice in the current year about his supposed conversation with Trump.
This discussion reportedly came to light when Pratt mentioned the American submarine fleet. According to The New York Times, Pratt is alleged to have shared the sensitive information with several others, potentially jeopardizing the security of the US nuclear fleet.
While Pratt's name and the alleged conversation do not appear in the criminal indictment released in June, this report could play a pivotal role in the upcoming trial against Trump, scheduled for May. It is worth emphasizing that Pratt has not been accused of any wrongdoing in this matter.
Nuclear secrets reached 'at least' 45 people
The impact of Trump's alleged disclosures is significant. ABC News reports that Trump's remarks reached at least 45 individuals, including three former Australian prime ministers, six journalists, 11 of his employees, and 10 Australian officials.
This startling revelation underscores the potential implications of such disclosures on national security.
Former ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey, downplayed Trump's alleged disclosures in comments to The New York Times, suggesting that the information Trump shared was not entirely novel.
“If that’s all that was discussed, we already know all that,” Hockey told the outlet. “We have had Australians serving with Americans on US submarines for years, and we share the same technology and the same weapons as the US Navy.”
This alleged conversation between Trump and Pratt occurred during a period when the Australian, American, and UK governments were engaged in secret discussions over the AUKUS pact, an agreement for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
Additional conversations under scrutiny too
Prosecutors have described other supposed conversations that Trump had in the months following his presidency in their 49-page indictment.
One instance, caught on tape at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, reportedly involved Trump sharing a "highly confidential" Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran with individuals lacking the necessary security clearances.
Trump has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in the federal charges against him and has pleaded not guilty to all 40 counts stemming from the classified documents case.
Additionally, his personal aide, Walt Nauta, and the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, Carlos De Oliveira, were charged in the investigation and have also pleaded not guilty.
It is crucial to note that Trump is currently facing federal charges in various jurisdictions, including efforts to overturn the 2020 election, racketeering charges in Georgia, business fraud allegations in Manhattan, and a $250 million civil fraud lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Throughout these investigations, Trump has consistently maintained his innocence.