Trump classified docs witness retracted 'false testimony,' provided new info against Trump, DOJ says

A witness in the federal criminal case against former President Donald Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents retracted "prior false testimony" after changing attorneys last month and came forward with new information implicating the former president, the Justice Department said.

The witness, identified in court documents published Tuesday as "Trump Employee 4" who worked as the director of information technology at Mar-a-Lago, initially testified before the D.C. grand jury in March 2023 that he did not recall any conversations about security footage at the estate.

The employee said in July – weeks before additional charges were filed against Trump and Mar-a-Lago employees Carlos De Oliveira and Walt Nauta – that he no longer wanted to be represented by Stanley Woodward, who has represented multiple Trump aides, including Nauta. The judge then approved a federal public defender to represent the employee.

"Immediately after receiving new counsel, Trump Employee 4 retracted his prior false testimony and provided information that implicated Nauta, De Oliveira, and Trump in efforts to delete security camera footage," the filing stated. This information was included in the new indictment later that month.

The filing from special counsel Jack Smith’s team came in response to Florida-based U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon's request for details about why the employee changed his testimony.

Cannon, who is overseeing the case, also asked why prosecutors are still collecting evidence from a D.C. grand jury even after a Florida grand jury indicted Trump and his two aides for allegedly mishandling classified documents at the Florida estate.

Trump and co-defendant Walt Nauta pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case.

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