Former US President Donald Trump is facing further legal challenges after allegedly discussing classified information about US nuclear submarines with Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt.
According to the American ABC news outlet, Trump’s conversation with Pratt took place three months after he left office.
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The allegations emerged from a source with knowledge of Pratt’s account to investigators working for special counsel Jack Smith.
Trump has been charged with 40 criminal counts related to retaining classified information after his presidency, as well as 17 criminal counts regarding election subversion and 34 counts related to hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels.
Despite these legal challenges, Trump continues to lead Republican presidential polling and is expected to face Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential race.
The source told ABC News that “in those interviews, Pratt described how, looking to make conversation with Trump during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago in April 2021, he brought up the American submarine fleet, which the two had discussed before.”
Pratt is said to have shared this information with at least 45 people, including his own employees, journalists, foreign officials, and three former Australian prime ministers.
While it remains unclear whether the information shared by Trump was accurate, investigators reportedly asked Pratt to refrain from repeating what he had heard.
Pratt reportedly stated that he shared the information to demonstrate his advocacy for Australia in the US, particularly during negotiations for Australia’s purchase of nuclear submarines from the US.
The Australian government has yet to respond to the report, and both Trump and Pratt have not commented on the allegations.
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