A federal court hearing in the high-profile Mar-a-Lago classified documents case descended into a heated shouting match on Wednesday as attorneys clashed over allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. The contentious proceedings underscored the intense legal battles ahead for former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants.
The morning session was originally scheduled for Walt Nauta, one of Trump's co-defendants, to argue that special counsel Jack Smith's team had brought charges against him selectively and vindictively. However, the focus quickly shifted to a dispute over an August 2022 meeting between prosecutor Jay Bratt and Nauta's defense attorney, Stanley Woodward. Woodward alleged that Bratt tried to coerce him into convincing Nauta to cooperate with the investigation by threatening to impact Woodward's potential judgeship nomination.
"I had been recommended for a judgeship, that's beyond dispute," Woodward stated. He described seeing a folder labeled with his name during the meeting, implying that Bratt used the nomination as leverage. "The implication was that I was to travel and convince Mr. Nauta to cooperate with the investigation, and if I didn't, there would be consequences," Woodward claimed.
Prosecutor David Harbach vehemently denied these allegations, accusing Woodward of "procedural gamesmanship" and presenting a "garbage argument" about the meeting. "Mr. Woodward's story of what happened at that meeting is a fantasy," Harbach shouted, slamming his hand on the lectern.
The proceedings, held before Judge Aileen Cannon, marked the first public hearing since she indefinitely delayed the trial's start, which had been scheduled for this week. Judge Cannon did not issue any rulings from the bench, instead chastising both sides for their conduct. She questioned the lack of concrete evidence from the 2022 conversation and scolded Harbach for his outburst, telling him to "calm down."
The hearing took place as the Manhattan hush money case against Trump nears its conclusion and pretrial activity in the classified documents prosecution in Florida ramps up. Trump, Nauta, and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira have all pleaded not guilty to charges related to the former president's alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Harbach criticized Woodward for not reporting the alleged incident immediately and for changing his account of the meeting over time. "This is a lawyer whose allegations amount basically to him being extorted," Harbach said, gesticulating emphatically.
Woodward, seated behind Harbach, responded by offering to testify under oath about the meeting. Nauta's request to dismiss the case was one of two issues before Judge Cannon on Wednesday. The afternoon session focused on technical flaws in the indictment, as argued by the defense.
Trump, who had been granted permission to skip the proceedings, watched from afar as his legal battles continue to accumulate. When postponing the trial, Judge Cannon cited numerous unresolved pretrial issues, with hearings scheduled through late July aiming to address them.
The slow pace of the case has drawn criticism from legal experts, who argue that Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee, might be allowing delay tactics. These delays could prevent the charges from going to trial before the 2024 presidential election, during which Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee. If Trump wins, it is anticipated he will attempt to dismiss the charges against him.
Recent filings have shed more light on the investigation. Hundreds of pages of previously sealed court documents were made public, detailing efforts by Trump's legal team to have the charges dismissed. These filings include a March 2023 ruling from a federal judge in Washington, DC, which found sufficient evidence that Trump committed crimes, allowing investigators to bypass attorney-client privilege.
Trump's legal team is seeking to suppress this evidence, as well as materials obtained during the FBI's August 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago, which underpins several charges against him. These motions are not yet scheduled for a hearing.
In a recent order, Judge Cannon criticized the special counsel's office for inconsistencies in their redaction requests for public filings. She expressed "disappointment" at the developments, stressing the importance of consistent application of sealing and redaction rules.
