Growing unease is palpable within the Mar-a-Lago walls, former President Donald Trump's Florida refuge, as past allies, legal counsels, and key figures from the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys groups begin to cooperate with prosecutors. These probes are delving into the January 6 Capitol Hill insurrection and other potential crimes, according to insider information reaching GLOBE.
Tensions escalated when Stewart Rhodes, the Oath Keepers' linchpin, was hit with an 18-year prison sentence for his role in the turbulent 2021 uprising. This development is reportedly driving terrified accomplices to divulge details to avoid similar fates, potentially implicating the former president as the orchestrator of the attempted coup, potentially landing the beleaguered billionaire behind bars.
Since the catastrophic MAGA mob episode aimed at interrupting the peaceful handover of power to Joe Biden - the valid victor of the 2020 presidential race - Trump has continually dismissed any prior knowledge of the protestors' schemes. But the harsh punishment meted out to Rhodes might unearth conclusive evidence that Trump had active engagement with the Oath Keepers and other far-right factions to subvert America's democratic proceedings.
"The wealth of circumstantial evidence linking Trump to the planning of the insurrection is compelling," a political insider reveals. "What's needed now is a solitary testimony to neatly link the president with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers."
Multiple sources suggest Trump's ties to the attackers are profound. Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows, revealed to the Jan. 6 congressional committee that she overheard the president instructing Meadows to liaise with advisor Roger Stone and retired Gen. Michael Flynn on the day preceding the Capitol Hill attack.
Flynn and Stone are allegedly heavily linked to the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and the right-wing 1st Amendment Praetorian, all groups that have provided security at pro-Trump rallies.
Amid the increasing scrutiny, Trump is not only facing an investigation for aiding an insurrection led by Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, but he is also contending with further legal tribulations. Smith reportedly possesses a critical audio recording from July 2021, capturing Trump bragging about owning a confidential Pentagon document outlining contingency strategies for an Iran assault. Notably, Trump concedes on the recording - made half a year after his presidency concluded - that the document's public exposure would be illegal, implying he was aware of its classified status and the violation it presents.
Furthermore, prosecution referrals have been issued by Congress against Eastman, Giuliani, and Meadows for allegedly scheming to defraud the U.S. government, stimulating speculation that these once faithful confidants might betray their former boss, who is also under investigation for election interference in Georgia.
"Prosecutors seem to be reaching further up the hierarchy," observes the political insider. "It appears inevitable that an individual close to the president will be charged - paving the way to directly implicate Trump."
Globe reported on the insiders' comments.