A new twist developed in Special Counsel Jack Smith's multiple investigations into former President Donald Trump. 

According to the New York Post, it was recently revealed that the federal prosecutor investigated whether or not Trump had shared information about the United States' highly secretive submarine program with an Australian billionaire, who reportedly shared the information with several others.

According to documents, the alleged conversation would have taken place in 2021 at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

The Australian billionaire in question is Anthony Pratt, the head of packaging company Pratt Industries.

What happened?

Pratt himself reportedly told federal prosecutors that the former president shared "the precise number of nuclear warheads US submarines carry and how close they can get to a Russian submarine without being detected."

The Post noted:

The submarine community – dubbed the Navy’s “silent service” – relies on secrecy to ensure not only the safety of sailors on board, but also national security. American submariners typically go months at a time underwater, unable to speak to their families while deployed on highly sensitive mission.

According to the report, the information was shared after Pratt reportedly suggested that the Australian military should have purchased submarines from the United States.

Notably, Pratt reportedly told a Mar-a-Lago employee about the information that the former president had shared with him, and he would later go on to tell numerous others, including journalists, and multiple Australian prime ministers.

Pratt was ultimately told by the feds to stop sharing the information.

Top secret

Pratt made clear that Trump had not shared any government documents with him during the conversation.

The Post noted:

If enemies gain knowledge of the submarines’ specifications or plans, the knowledge could be used to thwart both offensive and defensive attacks, detect and destroy the American vessels or design capabilities targeted at exploiting their vulnerabilities, defense experts say.

For his part, Trump strongly denied the reports, and insisted that he never shared such information, calling the reports "false and ridiculous."

The former president, and many others, believe that the report is yet another method for his political opponents to hamstring his 2024 presidential campaign. Smith has not charged Trump in the matter.