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Workers at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort could deliver "distinct pieces of inside evidence" if they are called up to testify as part of the former president's classified documents trial, according to a legal expert.
Former federal prosecutor Michael McAuliffe was reacting to a report from CNN, which has not been verified by Newsweek, that staff at Trump's Florida resort could be asked to take the stand in the trial in the federal case. The former president has pleaded not guilty to 40 charges over allegations he illegally retained sensitive materials when he left the White House in January 2021 and obstructed the federal attempt to retrieve them.
It was previously reported that at least two dozen people, including Mar-a-Lago restaurant workers and a housekeeper, testified before a federal grand jury as part of a classified documents case. Now CNN is reporting that Special Counsel Jack Smith's team is considering putting staff members—including a plumber, a maid, and a woodworker who installed crown molding in Trump's bedroom in February 2022—on the stand during the trial scheduled for May 2024.
While it is unclear what specifically the Mar-a-Lago workers could testify to the jury, McAuliffe suggested they could provide details on how the Florida resort operates and state how it is not a secure place to store top secret and classified documents. Trump's legal team has been contacted for comment via email.
"The apparent plan by federal prosecutors to call low-level employees and workers from Mar-a-Lago reflects the simple reality that they could provide distinct pieces of inside evidence supporting the foundation of the case against Donald Trump—that he directed a slapdash approach to security including government documents containing national security information," McAuliffe told Newsweek.
"The key to success in calling the witnesses might be that they are essentially a group to support each other's observations. The sum of several low-level witnesses is greater than one individual being called."
McAuliffe said that the Department of Justice must be mindful of any Mar-a-Lago worker changing their stories once they get to the stand, as they may be wary of the backlash they could face from Trump. The former president is likely to know who may testify in the trial as he was ordered not to discuss the case with his co-defendants or any potential witness ahead of the proceedings.
"The Special Counsel's office undoubtedly has interviewed these employees several times and memorialized their statements in great detail—under oath—to address the risk of the employees changing their narratives, or not remembering the facts," McAuliffe said.
Elsewhere, CNN's legal analyst Elie Honig said that Mar-a-Lago workers could be "ideal witnesses" for the prosecution for a number of reasons.
"First of all, they're normal folks, they're not D.C. insiders, they're maintenance workers, woodworkers, pool staff, people who just work every day. They'd be relatable to a jury," Honig said.
"Second of all, by all appearances, they haven't participated in any wrongdoing or criminality. They are people who happen to be at Mar-a-Lago and see and hear things that are relevant.
"And that brings me to the third point, which is access," he said. "These are people who are literally on the inside. There are inside Mar-a-Lago, and sometimes, as in the case of the crown molding worker, get to go into restricted places where people ordinarily wouldn't get to go in. So their testimony really could be very, very valuable."
Trump's two co-defendants in the classified case were also staff at Mar-a-Lago: valet driver Walt Nauta and maintenance worker Carlos De Oliveira. Both men have pleaded not guilty to all charges against them, including conspiracy to obstruct justice.
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About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, and Florida ... Read more