Special Counsel Jack Smith is attempting to invalidate the counsel for Walt Nauta, an associate of former President Donald Trump who is also implicated in the Justice Department’s confidential documents case.
Nauta, a Trump employee facing charges over the alleged mismanagement of classified papers at Mar-a-Lago, is currently represented by lawyer Stanley Woodward. However, the Justice Department has requested a hearing with U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, arguing that Woodward may have potential conflicts of interest in this case, as reported by Axios.
According to a legal document filed on Wednesday, the department mentioned that Woodward has previously represented a minimum of seven individuals who have been interrogated in relation to this investigation.
As per Axios, Woodward is representing two other employees of Trump and has offered advice to another whom the DOJ considers holds incriminating information against Nauta.
The legal document states, “All three of these potential witnesses may testify for the government at the trial, which could put Mr. Woodward in a position of cross-examining past or present clients.”
The DOJ has suggested that a hearing about the potential disqualification of Woodward is appropriate, as an attorney who cross-examines a past or current client inherently faces conflicting obligations.
Judge Cannon’s decision on hearing the government’s argument in this matter remains unknown.
Charges were filed against Nauta, Trump’s valet, and Trump himself in June. Recently, the DOJ has announced additional charges against them, along with Mar-a-Lago maintenance worker Carlos De Oliveira.
The DOJ alleges that De Oliveira and Nauta moved boxes at Mar-a-Lago last summer and asked another worker to erase security footage to prevent it from being presented to a federal grand jury.
De Oliveira is facing four charges, including giving false statements and conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to The Washington Post. Nauta is now facing six related charges, as stated in another Axios report.
While Nauta has entered a plea of not guilty, De Oliveira has yet to plea. Trump was initially charged with 37 counts in this case, but that number was increased to 40 last week.
Trump is accused of willingly retaining national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, giving false statements, and committing various offenses related to mishandling classified documents.