Trump co-defendant Walt Nauta’s lawyer may have conflict of interest, prosecutors say
Federal prosecutors have asked the judge overseeing the prosecution of Donald Trump, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira in the Southern District of Florida to hold a hearing that could result in Mr Nauta seeking new legal representation in the case against him. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office on Wednesday filed a motion asking Judge Aileen Cannon to schedule what is known as a “Garcia Hearing,” at which Mr Nauta would be informed that he has the right to be represented by a lawyer who does not represent any other party in the case against him. The proceeding takes its’ name from a 1975 court case, United States v. Garcia, in which an appeals court found that a defendant could use an attorney with a conflict of interest if they were properly informed as to the risks in doing so. Prosecutors said they were asking for the hearing because Mr Nauta’s attorney, Stanley Woodward, has represented or is currently representing three other people who may be called to testify against the longtime Trump aide and his co-defendants when the case against them goes to trial in May 2024. They explained that the hearing is needed because “ an attorney who cross-examines a former or present client inherently encounters divided loyalties,” and suggested that Judge Cannon could “procure” an independent attorney to be present at the hearing to advise Mr Nauta should he wish to speak with them. The special counsel’s office said Mr Woodward, who is paid by Mr Trump’s Save America Political Action Committee, represents seven persons who have been questioned during the government’s probe into the ex-president’s alleged mishandling of classified information. Specifically, they said the individuals include the Mar-a-Lago IT director referenced in the indictment of Mr Trump, Mr Nauta and Mr De Oliveira as “Trump Employee 4” as well as two other Trump aides who worked for the ex-president “during his presidency and afterwards”. Prosecutors also noted that they had previously told Mr Woodward in February and March of this year that his representation of the IT supervisor constituted a conflict because the employee would give evidence that was damaging to Mr Trump and Mr Nauta. The IT worker subsequently obtained a different attorney in early July, just a few weeks before the government obtained a superseding indictment of the ex-president and Mr Nauta and added Mr De Oliveira as a defendant in the case using the worker’s testimony. Continuing, they said Mr Woodward’s representation of the potential witnesses raises a conflict of interest because it “may result in the attorney’s improper use or disclosure of the client’s confidences during the cross-examination” or result in the attorney “pulling his punches” during cross-examination of the witnesses to protect the client or his own personal interests. “Where, as here, a potential conflict arises from an attorney’s simultaneous or successive representation of a defendant and a potential witness, a Garcia hearing is warranted. Nauta should be thoroughly advised of the potential conflicts and attendant risks,” they said. Prosecutors added that the two witnesses other than the Mar-a-Lago IT worker should also attend the hearing so they can be advised of the risks of having Mr Woodward as an attorney. A response to the government motion by Mr Nauta’s legal team is due on 16 August. Read More Trump has now been indicted for a 3rd time. Here's where all the investigations stand Mar-a-Lago property manager is the latest in line of Trump staffers ensnared in legal turmoil Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump's classified documents case to make first court appearance
2023-08-03 00:09
Late heartbreak for Newcastle and Manchester City march on in Champions League
Newcastle suffered late Champions League heartbreak as Kylian Mbappe’s last-gasp penalty denied them a famous victory over Paris St Germain. The Premier League side, who won the reverse fixture 4-1, were heading for a memorable night in the French capital after Alexander Isak’s first-half goal. They were on the way to securing the three points which would have put qualification to the knockout stage into their own hands until Mbappe stepped up from the spot in the eighth minute of added time. The draw means it will be PSG who progress if they better Newcastle’s result in the final Group F game in a fortnight. Borussia Dortmund wrapped up top spot in the group with a 3-1 win over AC Milan. Manchester City came from 2-0 down to beat RB Leipzig 3-2 and assure themselves top spot in Group G. The reigning champions were staring defeat in the face after a first-half double from Lois Openda. But Erling Haaland got one back nine minutes into the second half, with Phil Foden drawing them level before Julian Alvarez won it with three minutes left. Both teams have already qualified, but Young Boys put themselves in pole position to go into the Europa League after beating Red Star Belgrade 2-0. Goals from Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix earned Barcelona a 2-1 win over Porto to take control of Group H. The Portuguese side took the lead when former Real Madrid defender Pepe scored in the first half, but their qualification fate will go down to the final game, with Shakhtar Donetsk also on nine points after they beat Royal Antwerp 1-0. Celtic crashed out of Europe for the season after a late double by substitute Ciro Immobile gave Lazio a 2-0 win in Rome. The Hoops went into the make-or-break game with one point from four Group E matches but gave as good as they got for most of the contest before the home side’s veteran attacker struck in the 82nd and 85th minutes to sink the Scottish champions. Celtic remain bottom of the section and cannot catch Lazio, Atletico Madrid or Feyenoord. Atletico beat the Dutch side 3-1 to remain top of the group. Read More Newcastle denied Champions League win after controversial Kylian Mbappe penalty Phil Foden inspires Manchester City fightback in win over RB Leipzig Beth Mead ‘smiling like a Cheshire cat’ on England return Rodrigo Bentancur set to be out until February after tearing an ankle ligament Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink wants aspiring black managers to get ‘a fair chance’ Ronnie O’Sullivan reels off six successive frames to advance at UK Championship
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Kai Cenat sets Rolling Loud stage on fire with epic guest appearance alongside Lil Yatchy: Fans say 'this is crazy'
Kai Cenat and Lil Yatchy treated their fans to a stunning stage performance at Rolling Loud
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Thailand’s Thaksin Delays Plan to Return From 15-Year Exile
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra postponed a plan to return from 15 years of self-imposed exile by
2023-08-05 14:29
Trump pleads not guilty and waives arraignment in Georgia election case
Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty and waived arraignment in the case accusing him and others of illegally trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia
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Pope Francis pulls out of Friday audiences because of fever
The 86-year-old Pontiff cleared his morning schedule because of a fever, a Vatican spokesman has said.
2023-05-26 22:07
Agnetha Faltskog was 'suspicious' of ABBA Voyage show
ABBA star Agnetha Faltskog has admitted she was 'suspicious' of the band's ambitious virtual concert residency which features avatars of the group members performing their hits
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Who is Jacob Reidy? Ohio man, 39, arrested for hurling antisemitic slurs at families displaying Israeli flag
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Speaker McCarthy supports expunging Trump's impeachments over Ukraine and Jan. 6
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says he supports the idea of expunging the two impeachments of Donald Trump
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Brian Snitker and Braves come to Marcell Ozuna's defense in Will Smith beef
The Braves have taken a firm stance in the Marcell Ozuna-Will Smith beef, and to no surprise, they're defending their own.Bullpens cleared on Monday night when the Atlanta Braves faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first game of the series.In the fourth inning, Braves designated hitter...
2023-05-25 03:20
Ten Hag defends disciplinary streak to weed out poor Man Utd culture
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he inherited a bad culture at Old Trafford as he refused to offer more details on Jadon Sancho’s...
2023-09-15 21:58
Money stored in Venmo, other payment apps could be vulnerable, financial watchdog warns.
Customers of Venmo, PayPal and CashApp should not store their money for the long term with these apps since their funds may not be covered by deposit insurance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned on Thursday
2023-06-02 02:55
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