Trump co-defendant in classified records case says he wants to keep lawyer despite possible conflict

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In the federal case involving classified documents, a co-defendant, Walt Nauta, who previously served as a valet to former President Donald Trump, expressed his desire to retain his attorney, Stanley Woodward, despite the potential for a conflict of interest. Prosecutors have raised concerns about Woodward’s representation due to his prior association with an information technology specialist, expected to be a crucial government witness in the trial, as well as his ongoing representation of another individual who may testify.

Nauta, along with the former Republican president Trump, faces charges related to an alleged scheme to conceal classified government documents from federal investigators. The trial is currently scheduled for May 2024 in Florida.

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team requested a hearing to ensure that Nauta fully understood the potential conflict involving his attorney. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon cautioned Nauta about the risks of retaining his current lawyer, explaining that it could adversely impact his trial prospects and could prevent him from later arguing on appeal that his attorney’s divided loyalties constituted a conflict.

Despite these warnings, Nauta affirmed his decision to continue with Mr. Woodward as his legal counsel, thus waiving his right to conflict-free representation.

Prosecutors have identified the IT specialist, previously represented by Woodward, as the director of information technology at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago complex in Palm Beach. This individual was allegedly asked to delete surveillance footage, possibly as an attempt to obstruct the federal investigation. After switching lawyers last summer to an attorney from the federal defender’s office, the witness retracted previous false testimony and provided incriminating information, leading to a new indictment against Trump, Nauta, and a third defendant. This IT specialist has entered into a cooperation agreement with prosecutors and is expected to be a significant witness in the case.

Notably, the hearing was rescheduled after a prior postponement due to objections raised by Judge Cannon regarding the prosecutors’ arguments. Additionally, it was revealed this week that Woodward does not intend to cross-examine the IT director, as it could be considered unethical and potentially compromise the confidentiality of a former client or hinder attempts to challenge the witness’s testimony, as is customary in defense strategy.

In a related development, Judge Cannon recently ruled that another co-defendant, Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira, could retain his attorney, despite potential conflicts arising from the lawyer’s prior representation of three potential government witnesses.

All three defendants, Trump, Nauta, and De Oliveira, have entered pleas of not guilty. A spokesperson for Trump, who is an early frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, characterizes the case as a “desperate and flailing attempt” by Democrats to harass him and influence the White House contest.

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More about Legal Conflict

• CNN article on the legal case
• Information on federal trials
• Cooperation agreements in legal cases
• Donald Trump’s official website
• Mar-a-Lago official website