Very, very bad news for Donald Trump. His longtime aide Kash Patel just inked a limited immunity deal with the DOJ, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Yesterday, Judge Beryl Howell of the DC District Court granted the 42-year-old children’s book author immunity from prosecution on any information he provides to investigators looking into the alleged mishandling of classified government documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Related: It sure sounds like these two Trump aides might flip on him after the whole Mar-a-Lago mess
Over the years, Patel has become one of Trump’s most trusted confidants. He held a number of national security roles within the Trump administration, including chief of staff of the Pentagon, before joining the board of directors for the Trump Media & Technology Group after Trump left office. He is also one of the ex-president’s designees to work with the National Archives.
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Last month, he was summoned before a grand jury in the Mar-a-Lago case to answer questions about whether Trump illegally took national security documents with him when he left the White House, and whether he obstructed justice but not returning them when asked.
Related: Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mess just got 10 times messier and 20 times stupider
At the time, Patel refused to answer anything by invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. In granting him immunity, prosecutors hope to get the answers they’ve been seeking. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen.
Per the New York Times:
Legal experts say prosecutors try to avoid giving witnesses immunity, especially in high-profile cases, because it makes it much more difficult to prosecute the individual who received it. But prosecutors often ask a judge to grant it when they are confronted with a witness who has information that they believe is essential to completing the investigation.
Despite the government’s signaling that Mr. Patel was only a witness — not a subject of the investigation — he still refused to cooperate, and a federal judge declined to go along with an effort by prosecutors to compel his testimony. By removing the possibility that he could be charged with a crime based on evidence revealed through his testimony, the grant of immunity essentially made moot Mr. Patel’s Fifth Amendment claims.
Just one day before being granted immunity, Patel went on the MAGA podcast “The Benny Show” to voice his undying love and support for his boss and suggest he’s playing a long game.
“I’m all in with the boss, and you know that,” he said. “First, I tell people, let’s win the midterms. And then let’s see what he does and, you know, you and I think I know what he’s going to do. And then it’s a two-year lift and you know what, they’re going to come after us.”
He followed that up with an appearance on the far-right streaming network Real America’s Voice to call for the FBI and the DOJ to be defunded.
On the same day it is reported that he received limited immunity to testify in the documents case against Trump, Kash Patel calls for defunding the FBI and DOJ. pic.twitter.com/BQ7mbeV4FJ
— Ron Filipkowski ?? (@RonFilipkowski) November 3, 2022
The DOJ hasn’t commented on the immunity deal and Patel’s next grand jury appearance has yet to be scheduled.
Now, some tweets…
BREAKING: Trump insider Kash Patel turns, will testify before grand jury in Mar-a-Lago stolen documents case in exchange for immunity in that case.
Trump’s firewall on the documents case is starting to collapse. Patel testifying will prompt others to save themselves too.
— Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) November 3, 2022
Kash Patel is throwing Donald Trump under the bus and Donald Trump is throwing ketchup on the walls.
— The USA Singers (@TheUSASingers) November 3, 2022
Trump: "If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?"
Kash Patel: Pled the Fifth to the grand jury investigating Trump’s theft of classified records.
DOJ: We’ll give you immunity to testify against Trump.
— Grant Stern is boosted! (@grantstern) November 2, 2022
Kash Patel: Trump witness, children’s book author, podcaster, boot model. pic.twitter.com/DLRkYfucxn
— Ron Filipkowski ?? (@RonFilipkowski) October 16, 2022
Kash Patel could turn on Trump and testify the truth, or continue to lie, and then drag any indictment through the courts for years until a republican can pardon him. The courts need to step up the punishment and speed in dealing with treason…..
— Buddy Winston (@BuddyWinston) November 3, 2022
You realize if Kash Patel doesn’t tell the truth he’s going to prison? His immunity deal is that he has to spill his guts and tell the truth. He has no choice
— ??????????????????? (@Steelersgirl217) November 3, 2022
Kash Patel should avoid windows and stairwells.
— FakeJoeBiden (@fake_biden) November 3, 2022
We have no idea if he’ll “turn” or say “I don’t recall” a hundred times. I’m not optimistic about a guy who just published a children’s book promoting election lies.
— Sam Torode 💙 (@samtorode) November 3, 2022
It’s no coincidence that Kash Patel is getting an immunity deal less than a week before the midterms.
Indictments are coming soon.
— Elon Flux (@ElonFlux) November 3, 2022
BREAKING: Donald Trump releases photo as proof he does not know Kash Patel. pic.twitter.com/PwIHBmGNDm
— c????? ????s ????? (@Trump_Detester) November 3, 2022
jt1990
Ok I’ll admit, Orange Man wrong this time. I wouldn’t trust a guy named Kash Patel to wear deodorant in public, much less anything national security.
Kangol2
You can’t help yourself with the racism, no matter what the topic. Gag on a firehose!
DCguy
Translation: The right wing troll account is now trying to attack this guy because it knows he is about to testify to more Trump criminal behavior.
Sweetie, please tell your bosses at the foreign troll farm to put somebody better on this account, your trolling is sad and weak.
still_onthemark
@jt1990: Try the vindaloo, it’ll fix your lifelong constipation!
@DCguy: “Sad and weak”??? Can anyone use that line now? what did you do to Cam???
mateo
Kash might consider hiring a food tester. Just sayin’….
bachy
I really can’t see this child-propagandizing bootlicker supplying the DOJ with anything they need to proceed. Anything he has to say is too muffled by how deeply his face is embedded in Failure 45’s azz.
Darson
Am I mistaken but arent the trumps horribly racist? How did this man of color get to such a high position in their criminal empire?
still_onthemark
I wondered that too, but Trump is so “basic” he probably just loved the guy’s name, KASH!
Trump probably thought, hey I could have named Junior or Eric “KASH” instead!
Den
Trump, given the number of South Asians who have gone into high tech and medical research probably ranks them with Chinese Americans. Much like he ‘wants his finance guys to wear yarmulkas’. Transactional racism.
Kangol2
Don the Con likes a few tokens. Kanye, Nene Leakes, Kash Patel, etc. Many racists do.
Mister P
JT90 wants everyone to know he is a troll and a racist.
Stefano
It’s a shame, but DT will be back in 2024 because the entire justice system in the United States is corrupt. He has succeeded in placing his pawns in it. And since almost 40% of Americans trust him, he will become your first emperor! All you have to do is get on your knees. We know what will happen next, the whole West will follow! We are entering the darkest era. You can now thank Russia and China.
Paris in Santiago
Kash Patel has nothing to tell but lies, and he’s stupid enough to go to jail over it. I’m sure he thinks there is some big pay off in the end, but he doesn’t know what that will look like. Ugh.