Donald Trump Classified Documents Case: Mar-a-Lago Employee Flips, Retracts Testimony and Will Testify Vs. Ex-POTUS
A Mar-a-Lago security aide has now flipped and has retracted a previous testimony to investigators for the Donald Trump classified documents case, as shown by a new filing by prosecutors from Special Counsel Jack Smith's team.
The Trump employee who monitored security cameras at Mar-a-Lago was described in the filing as "Trump Employee 4." However, Politico noted that he has been identified as the former director of information technology at Mar-a-Lago, Yuscil Taveras.
After retracting his earlier testimony to the federal grand jury, "Trump Employee 4" implicated Trump and others in their obstruction of justice charge. This happened after switching attorneys representing him.
Taveras was previously represented by a defense attorney paid for by a Trump political action committee. A new lawyer from the federal defender's office in Washington is now representing him.
His former lawyer, Stanley Woodward, also represents Trump's co-defendant Walt Nauta, as well as other people closely related to Donald Trump himself.
Taveras was not charged alongside the other Mar-a-Lago employees, Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira. The security aide was reportedly the employee that Trump co-defendant Carlos de Oliveira approached to delete the Mar-a-Lago security tapes that have been subpoenaed by the DOJ.
'Trump Employee 4' Flip Led to New Charges Vs. Donald Trump
Yuscil Taveras's revised testimony and flip led to the dramatic turn of events that not just led to additional charges against Donald Trump but also de Oliveira.
According to NBC News, after changing attorneys, Taveras learned that the DOJ was investigating him on suspicion of having made false statements in his previous grand jury testimony. This led to him flipping on his employer.
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"Immediately after receiving new counsel, Trump Employee 4 retracted his prior false testimony and provided information that implicated Nauta, [Carlos] De Oliveira, and Trump in efforts to delete security camera footage, as set forth in the superseding indictment," said the newly-unsealed filing.
Prosecutors have stated that Trump employee Carlos De Oliveira had tried to get Taveras to delete Mar-a-Lago security footage after a subpoena had been made. However, when initially asked about this, Taveras "repeatedly denied or claimed not to recall any contacts or conversations about the security footage at Mar-a-Lago."
'Trump Employee 4' Also Incriminated Donald Trump Aide Walt Nauta in Classified Documents Case
After the flip, Stanley Woodward may be facing a conflict of interest as his former client is testifying against his current client.
"The target letter to Trump Employee 4 crystallized a conflict of interest arising from Mr. Woodward's concurrent representation of Trump Employee 4 and Nauta," wrote the prosecutors in the filing.
"Advising Trump Employee 4 to correct his sworn testimony would result in testimony incriminating Mr. Woodward's other client, Nauta, but permitting Trump Employee 4's false testimony to stand uncorrected would leave Trump Employee 4 exposed to criminal charges for perjury," wrote the prosecutors added.
The trial has been set for May 20, 2024, per the Associated Press. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges levied against him.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
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