Change in Legal Representation Leads to Altered Testimony in Trump Documents Case, According to Prosecutors

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The Justice Department reported on Tuesday that a witness involved in the criminal proceedings against former President Donald Trump for retaining classified documents rescinded “previous false testimony” after obtaining new legal counsel last month, furnishing fresh insights that implicate Trump.

The witness, identified in legal documents as the director of information technology at Mar-a-Lago and a member of Trump’s staff, provided these statements to prosecutors just weeks before special counsel Jack Smith filed a revised indictment, accusing Trump and two additional individuals of conspiring to erase surveillance footage at Trump’s Florida estate.

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In March, the witness testified to a Washington grand jury that he had no recollection of discussions regarding the security footage. However, in July, after being alerted by prosecutors that he was an investigation target and following advisements of a potential conflict of interest with his attorney, the witness appointed a new lawyer from the federal defender’s office. This subsequently led to the submission of new information to the Justice Department, which laid the groundwork for an updated indictment against Trump, Walt Nauta, and Carlos De Oliveira, according to court documents.

Prosecutors elaborated on the interaction with the witness in a court filing that calls for a Florida hearing concerning possible conflicts of interest with defense lawyer Stanley Woodward, who also represents Nauta. Woodward refused to provide a comment on Tuesday to The Big Big News.

Prosecutors articulated that, “The correspondence to Trump Employee 4 revealed a conflicting interest stemming from Mr. Woodward’s simultaneous representation of both Trump Employee 4 and Nauta.”

Despite being the subject of four criminal indictments in New York, Florida, Washington D.C., and Georgia, former President Trump is seen as the early favorite within the Republican Party for the 2024 election. Should he win the nomination, he may potentially contend with Joe Biden once again for the presidency. Additional insight is provided by AP’s Jill Colvin.

Prosecutors further noted: “Encouraging Trump Employee 4 to amend his under-oath testimony would lead to evidence against Mr. Woodward’s other client, Nauta; allowing the deceptive testimony to remain uncorrected, however, could result in criminal perjury charges against Trump Employee 4.”

The Justice Department’s filing also included an explanation for employing grand juries in both Washington and Florida, where the charges were eventually brought. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing the case in Florida, had previously questioned the legal appropriateness of using grand juries across two districts.

Prosecutors continued to make use of the Washington grand jury even after filing charges in Florida, explicitly to probe potential false statements by Washington witnesses. The Washington grand jury concluded its term just last week, as they reported.

The trial in the classified documents case is scheduled for May 20, 2024. Trump has entered a plea of not guilty and has consistently refuted any misconduct.

Besides the classified documents case, Trump is also confronted with a prosecution by Smith for attempts to nullify the 2020 presidential election results, a criminal case in Georgia concerning efforts to undermine the state’s vote, and another New York case related to payments intended to silence a pornographic film actor.

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For additional information, follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP.

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• Justice Department Statement
• Revised Indictment Details
• Washington Grand Jury Explanation
• U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon
• 2024 Election Coverage
• Trump’s Legal Challenges Overview