Trump: A key witness at Mar-A-Lago retracts his testimony

A person identified as Donald Trump’s Employee 4, who was a key witness in the case involving the secret documents illegally stored at Mar-A-Lago, has reportedly recently recanted his testimony in the indictment implicating Trump as well as two other defendants on record.

NEW: Key witness against former President Trump and his co-defendants in the Mar-a-Lago documents case recanted previous false testimony and provided new information implicating the defendants after switching lawyers, according to a new court filing. https://t.co/lIhg3P2WPz

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 22, 2023

According to NBC News, Yuscil Taveras reportedly worked at the Mar-A-Lago golf club as director of information technology and was a key material witness in the events leading up to the alleged attempt to erase surveillance camera footage, with the FBI ordering Trump to provide all surveillance footage from Mar-A-Lago.

While under investigation for possible perjury charges, Taveras reportedly changed lawyers, who were previously paid by Trump’s Save America PAC, according to new documents submitted by Jack Smith.

“Immediately after receiving new counsel, Trump Employee 4 recanted his earlier false testimony and provided information that implicated Nauta, [Carlos] De Oliveira and Trump in efforts to suppress security camera footage, as set forth in the superseding indictment,” reads the new document filed in court by Smith.

According to prosecutors on the case, Carlos De Oliveira, Trump’s property manager and co-defendant on the case, attempted to convince Taveras to delete the Mar-a-Lago security footage.

Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira pleads not guilty to charges in the Trump classified documents case. https://t.co/oWOCFYE3Wl

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 15, 2023

A trial has been set for May 20, 2024, in the case of the classified Mar-a-Lago documents, and Donald J. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 40 counts under the Espionage Act.