Prosecutors say Trump classified docs witness recanted false testimony after switching lawyers

The director of information technology at Mar-a-Lago recanted previous “false testimony” in special counsel Jack Smith’s case into former President Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents after switching lawyers and learning of possible perjury charges, according to prosecutors.

The witness — described in a Justice Department court filing on Tuesday as “Trump Employee 4” and identified by several media outlets as Yuscil Taveras — has provided prosecutors with information regarding alleged efforts to delete surveillance camera footage taken at the 77-year-old former president’s Palm Beach, Fla., club and residence. 

“When Trump Employee 4 testified before the grand jury in the District of Columbia in March 2023, he repeatedly denied or claimed not to recall any contacts or conversations about the security footage at Mar-a-Lago,” the DOJ’s court filing states. 

The employee learned through a target letter issued 12 days after Trump’s indictment in the case that he faced “criminal exposure” to perjury charges, which the government says was “entirely due to his false sworn denial before the grand jury.”

Taveras also became aware that his lawyer, Stanley Woodward, might have a conflict of interest in the case because of his representation of Trump co-defendant Walt Nauta. 

“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,” Tuesday’s filing said.

“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,” the filing explained. 

“Moreover, an attorney for Trump had put Trump Employee 4 in contact with Mr. Woodward, and his fees were being paid by Trump’s political action committee (PAC).”

In July, after removing Woodward as his lawyer and obtaining a public defender, Taveras recanted his previous grand jury testimony and “provided information that implicated Nauta, [Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos] De Oliveira, and Trump in efforts to delete security camera footage.”

Taveras’ new testimony led to a superseding indictment and new charges against Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira in July. 

The former president has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in the case. 

A trial has been set for May 20, 2024, in a Miami courtroom.