By Andrew Goudsward
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A key witness within the case accusing former U.S. President Donald Trump of mishandling labeled paperwork after leaving workplace has entered right into a take care of prosecutors to supply testimony, his former legal professional mentioned in a Wednesday courtroom submitting.
The deal was reached after U.S. Particular Counsel Jack Smith’s workplace threatened to prosecute the witness, who’s the pinnacle of knowledge expertise at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida resort, for mendacity to a grand jury, the legal professional, Stanley Woodward, mentioned within the submitting.
Woodward presently represents Walt Nauta, one of many two Trump staff additionally charged within the paperwork case, along with having beforehand represented the IT head, who shouldn’t be named in Wednesday’s submitting.
Prosecutors have mentioned the worker is more likely to testify at trial, posing a possible battle of curiosity for Woodward, who will face the prospect of a former shopper testifying towards a present shopper.
Woodward has not opposed the request for U.S. District Choose Aileen Cannon, who’s presiding over the case, to carry a listening to on the problem. However he advised in Wednesday’s submitting that prosecutors’ dealing with of the IT supervisor’s testimony was improper.
The case is one in every of 4 prison prosecutions of Trump, who leads the sphere looking for the Republican nomination to problem Democratic President Joe Biden within the 2024 election.
Prosecutors beforehand mentioned that the witness, who has been recognized by media retailers Politico and CNN as Yuscil Taveras, had details about efforts by Trump’s private aide Nauta and others to impede the labeled paperwork investigation.
Taveras’ present legal professional had no rapid remark.
Prosecutors have charged Trump, Nauta and a 3rd Mar-a-Lago worker, Carlos De Oliveira, with attempting to thwart authorities efforts to retrieve delicate paperwork taken to the Florida resort after Trump left workplace. All three have pleaded not responsible.
A spokesperson for Smith’s workplace declined to remark. Woodward declined to remark.
Prosecutors mentioned in an August courtroom submitting that the witness initially denied any information of obstruction. After receiving a letter from the particular counsel’s workplace threatening him with prosecution, he dropped Woodward as his legal professional after which detailed alleged efforts to delete safety digicam footage at Mar-a-Lago, they mentioned.
Woodward rejected prosecutors’ account in Wednesday’s submitting, saying the IT worker supplied new testimony to the grand jury solely after being supplied a non-prosecution deal, which was reached after he was not representing the worker.
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Enhancing by Scott Malone and Andrea Ricci)