Nauta faces six federal charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing a document or record and making false statements. His inclusion in the indictment was met by protest from Trump, who praised Nauta as "a wonderful man" who had "done a fantastic job!"
Ty Cobb, the former White House attorney who served as Trump’s lawyer during the Russia investigation, said he felt sorry for Nauta, whom he described as a dutiful worker who "nods and then does what he’s been told to do." Cobb recalled Nauta stopping by his home, checking in on him and fetching him club soda when he was working late. He said he remembered how Nauta noticed — after dozens of uneaten hamburgers — that Cobb didn’t eat meat and quietly began substituting salmon for his lunches.