Trump’s own attorneys could be witnesses in 37-count Mar-a-Lago documents prosecution
When former President Donald Trump was arraigned in a Miami courtroom for a 37-count federal criminal indictment on Tuesday, June 13, the judge emphasized that he did not want Trump to discuss the indictment with potential witnesses. Nor did the judge want Trump to talk about the case with Walt Nauta, his co-defendant and a personal aide.
In an article published June 15, New York Times reporters Alan Feuer, Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush stress that the case's possible witnesses include not only Trump's aides, but also, his attorneys.
The journalists explain, "Chief among the possible witnesses mentioned in the indictment is Molly Michael, Mr. Trump's former assistant, who worked for him in the White House and then went on to work at Mar-a-Lago, according to two people familiar with the matter. Ms. Michael is described as 'Trump Employee 2' and appears at several key moments laid out in the charging document."
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Feuer, Haberman and Thrush report that the 37-count indictment "mentions two lawyers, Trump Attorney 1 and Trump Attorney 2, who told Mr. Trump that they needed to conduct a search to comply with a May grand jury subpoena demanding the return of all classified material in his possession." According to Times sources, the person identified as "Trump Representative 1" in the indictment is attorney Alex Cannon, who is no longer working directly for the former president.
"The provision that Mr. Trump not discuss the case with potential witnesses could be difficult to enforce, given that Mr. Trump's speaking style is often ungovernable," the Times reporters note. "It could be especially challenging with regard to Mr. Nauta, whose job is to trail the former president, day in and day out, catering to his every minor need."
Feuer, Haberman and Thrush add, "Prosecutors under Mr. Smith have agreed to provide a list of potential witnesses to Mr. Trump's team — though it may be narrowly tailored to avoid revealing too much about their investigation. To that end, David Harbach, a senior prosecutor on Mr. Smith's team, said in court that it was not likely to be 'an exhaustive list' that would place undue burdens on Mr. Trump and the people working for him."
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Read The New York Times' full report at this link (subscription required).
