Waltine Nauta faces up to 90 years in prison if found guilty of helping Donald Trump hide classified documents. The Department of Justice has charged Nauta with making false or misleading statements, withholding records, concealing documents, scheming to conceal facts from investigators, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Nauta isn’t expected to turn on Trump to obtain prosecutorial leniency.
Nauta descends from the Chamorro people, the indigenous people of Guam
Waltine Nauta was born in Agat, Guam. He descends from the Chamorro people, the indigenous tribe of Guam, a U.S. island territory in the Western Pacific.
Nauta left Agat after enlisting in the US Navy in 2001. He rose through the ranks to become a Senior Chief Culinary Specialist. Nauta’s mother, Pauline Torre, suggested to The Washington Post that he’d earned his role as Trump’s military aide: “If he got selected — out of how many people — to serve the president, that says it all.”
The BBC reports that Nauta’s relatives seemed stunned when the outlet informed them of his indictment. Lani Nauta, his cousin, told the BBC that the family had just regained electricity after a typhoon struck the island. Elly, Nauta’s aunt, described him as ‘family oriented’. She appeared to blame Trump for the troubles that have befallen Nauta, telling The Washington Post:
“He’s pretty much a good boy growing up, and as an adult pretty much the same. He’s not a troubled kid. He’s out there to enjoy his life, not to cause problems. He told his mom there’s nothing to worry about. He didn’t do anything wrong. All he was instructed was to put the boxes where they were supposed to go.”