Former US president Donald Trump allegedly discussed potentially sensitive information about US nuclear submarines with one of Australia's richest billionaires following his presidency, American outlet ABC has reported.
Sources told ABC that Anthony Pratt, the executive chairman of Visy Industries and Pratt Industries and a member of Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, allegedly went on to share the information he received from the former president during an April 2021 meeting with "more than a dozen foreign officials, several of his own employees, and a handful of journalists".
Three unnamed former Australian prime ministers were reportedly among the people who Pratt allegedly shared the information with.
Malcolm Turnbull, whose prime ministership overlapped with the start of Trump's term, issued a statement denying he was one of the three former Australian PMs mentioned.
He did say, though, that Trump questioned him about why Australia had decided to buy French rather than US-made submarines.
Pratt – Australia's third-richest person behind Gina Rinehart and Andrew Forrest – was reportedly questioned twice by US prosecutors involved with the classified documents investigation into Trump.
The Australian businessman allegedly told investigators that after he told Trump that Australia should buy submarines from the US, the former president went on to share how many nuclear warheads US submarines carry and "how close they can get to a Russian submarine without being detected", sources told ABC.
It is also claimed the two had discussed the American submarine fleet previously.
But Pratt told investigators that he was not shown any government documents, the sources said.
Revealed: The ten richest people in Australia
ABC also reported that according to sources, a former Mar-a-Lago employee told investigations that he was "bothered" by the former president disclosing such information to someone who is not a US citizen.
Sources also alleged in the ABC report that he heard Pratt sharing potentially sensitive information minutes after his meeting with the former president.
These allegations were not included in special counsel Jack Smith's indictment of Trump over his handling of classified documents.
But the incident was reported to and investigated by Smith's team, according to ABC.
A Trump spokesperson slammed ABC's report, telling CNN that the claims "lack proper context and relevant information".
"The Department of Justice should investigate the criminal leaking, instead of perpetrating their baseless witch-hunts while knowing that President Trump did nothing wrong, has always insisted on truth and transparency, and acted in a proper manner, according to the law," the spokesperson said.
9news.com.au has contacted Pratt for comment.
CNN has reached out to the special counsel's office for comment.
CNN previously obtained audio of a July 2021 meeting Trump had in his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, during which the former president acknowledged that he held on to a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran.
The audio, exclusively reported by CNN, was a critical piece of evidence in the special counsel's indictment.
Trump is facing 40 counts in the classified documents case, including willful retention of national defence information and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
It is one of four cases in which the former president has been indicted.
Trump, who is seeking to return to the White House and remains the GOP front-runner, asked the judge presiding over the case late Wednesday to delay the trial until after the 2024 elections.
A similar request was previously denied.
