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More people could end up flipping and testifying against Donald Trump in the classified documents case if they are able to receive new counsel, a legal expert has told Newsweek.
On Tuesday, prosecutors working for Special Counsel Jack Smith's office revealed that a Mar-a-Lago IT worker who previously testified to a grand jury as part of the federal classified documents probe had retracted his statement. He now alleges that the former president had taken steps to delete security footage sought by investigators at the Florida resort.
Yuscil Taveras had previously testified in March 2023, where he repeatedly denied or claimed not to recall any contacts or conversations about the security footage at Mar-a-Lago. Federal prosecutors stated in Tuesday's court filings that they had evidence indicating this claim was false.
On July 5, Taveras told a judge that he no longer wished to be represented by Stanley Woodward and that he would like to be represented by a first assistant federal defender.
Taveras then "immediately" retracted his prior testimony after getting a new counsel and provided information that implicated Trump aide Walt Nauta, maintenance worker Carlos De Oliveira, and the former president regarding alleged "efforts to delete security camera footage."
Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira have pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them in the classified documents case, including obstruction allegations.
Former federal prosecutor and former elected State Attorney Michael McAuliffe said that if others connected to the classified documents case are able to have a new counsel provided to them, then there is a possibility that further people could flip and implicate Trump, Nauta, and De Oliveira.
"That witnesses, targets, and defendants all have the benefit of conflict-free counsel is critical in any criminal case," McAullife told Newsweek.
Taveras had requested that he no longer be represented by Woodward, a lawyer who also represents Nauta and whose legal fees are being paid by Trump's Save America PAC.
Woodward has been contacted for comment via email.
Smith's office previously raised concerns of a potential conflict of interest regarding Woodward as he represents Nauta as well as others who may be called as witnesses in the classified documents trial.
Prosecutors had also raised similar concerns about John Irving, who is representing De Oliveira in the case, as he also represents others who may be called as witnesses during the proceedings due to begin in May 2024.
"The special counsel's efforts to point out and contest conflicts of interest regarding various Trump lawyers is resulting in new counsel being obtained for some individuals," McAuliffe told Newsweek. "It's a dynamic process that likely will repeat itself again and again now that it is known a significant witness/target received a new, independent lawyer.
"It is very likely that others—witnesses in particular—will seek to obtain new counsel or that the special counsel will seek the court's intervention about counsel conflict issues for others," McAullife added. "It's an effective tactic by the special counsel that can strengthen the prosecution's evidence when witnesses admit previously providing inaccurate or false information."
The superseding indictment in which De Oliveira was charged and Trump faced a further three allegations, on top of the 37 he had already pleaded not guilty to, listed Taveras as Trump Employee 4. The indictment also detailed the actions of two other potential key figures who have not yet been identified: Trump Employees 3 and 5.
Dozens of Mar-a-Lago workers were previously reported to have testified to a grand jury as part of the case.
Former Pentagon Special Counsel Ryan Goodman suggested that Smith's team were hoping to obtain key information from those underneath the radar of the former president by seeking testimony from Mar-a-Lago staff such as restaurant workers and housekeepers.
"They might be invisible to him. But they are the eyes and ears, and they can see things. Or they can know things [that] might even be somewhat rumored, but then they can at least give the investigators leads, so they can tell the investigators who is present in different conversations," Goodman told CNN's OutFront in March.
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