The lawyer representing former President Donald Trump‘s butler in a criminal case related to classified documents reported receiving threats after the revelation of false testimony by Mar-A-Lago‘s IT director.
What Happened: Stanley Woodward, the attorney for Trump’s valet Walt Nauta, voiced his concerns on Friday about the threats he received after special counsel Jack Smith‘s disclosure that IT director Yuscil Taveras had provided false testimony in the case, CNBC reported.
Woodward strongly criticized Smith’s submission, labeling it as a “bold and overt effort” to sway the judge presiding over the case and “the court of public opinion” by quoting content from a confidential document that Woodward had previously presented in relation to matters concerning his representation of Taveras.
“In the time since the government’s submission, defense counsel has received several threatening and/or disparaging emails and phone calls.”
“This is the result of the Special Counsel’s callous disregard for how their unnecessary actions affect and influence the public and the lives of the individuals involved in this matter,” Woodward wrote.
Woodward represented Taveras when he falsely told the grand jury that he didn’t recall any conversations about security footage at Mar-a-Lago. After switching to a different lawyer, Taveras admitted to being directed to destroy security footage.
Why It Matters: The defendants, including Trump, Nauta, and a Mar-a-Lago maintenance worker, Carlos De Oliveira, are alleged to have planned to erase security footage showing classified documents being moved at Trump’s private club. All have pleaded not guilty to crimes related to Trump’s retention of classified documents post his White House tenure.
Woodward has denied any current conflict of interest in the representation of Nauta and requested a week to submit a detailed rebuttal.
Read Next: Former Trump Advisor Predicts Joe Biden Will Skip Presidential Debates
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