Former Trump aide admits he ripped up records while in the White House
A personal aide who previously worked for former President Donald Trump has testified and admitted that he witnessed documents being ripped up by the former president.
According to CBS News, Nick Luna, who was responsible for managing day-to-day operations "in and around the Oval Office," has shared details about what he witnessed during Trump's presidency.
Per the news outlet's report, "Luna testified he sometimes saw Trump discard documents, even though federal law says presidential records must be kept." The news report then shifted to audio of Luna's testimony.
During his testimony before the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol insurrection, January 6 senior investigative counsel Dan George asked Luna, "Do you know whether the president ever tore up notes when he was finished with them?"
The former aide responded, "Yes. Okay."
George went a step further for the purpose of clarity. "And just to be clear, did the president tear up notes when he was finished with them?" he asked. "I don't know what the documents were, but there were tearing," Luna said.
George added, "But you are aware that at least sometimes the president would tear up notes or piece of paper when he was done with them, is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct," Luna clarified.
READ MORE: Team Trump refuses special master's order to list which Mar-a-Lago documents Trump 'declassified'
Per the news outlet's report: "Luna's eyewitness account echoes previous reporting that Trump would at times rip up documents and throw pieces in the toilet, which occasionally clogged the pipes in the White House. The audio files also show Luna testified about an unusual exchange he had with Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows. On a day when state Republican legislators visited the White House to huddle and strategize about how to keep Trump in power."
At one point during the testimony, Luna recalled a rare occurrence when former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows asked him not to enter the president's office.
"There was one instance where it would normally be my job to go in and make sure that the president is comfortable in wherever the situation is, if he's sitting in the chair or something like that," Luna said, adding, "And I remember specifically this instance he said, don't come in to the room today."
However, it is still unclear why he was told not to enter. The January 6 investigation has garnered deep criticism from the Trump campaign as lawmakers continue their probe into what transpired on that day.
