A routine hearing related to classified documents and former President Donald Trump ended abruptly when U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon reprimanded Justice Department attorney David Harbach, accusing him of wasting the court’s time.
The case, brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith against Trump, Walt Nauta, and Carlos de Oliveira, revolved around potential conflicts of interest involving Nauta’s and Oliveira’s attorneys, Stanley Woodward and John Irving.
Harbach argued that these attorneys should be denied to Nauta and Oliveira because their past and present clients might testify against them. Nauta, who faced six charges including obstruction of justice conspiracy, accompanied Trump to Mar-a-Lago after the 2020 election.
The hearing, meant for Nauta and Oliveira to assess their attorneys’ possible conflicts, escalated into a dispute. Harbach argued his position was supported by previous court decisions, but Judge Cannon disagreed.
When asked about the next steps, Judge Cannon enigmatically responded, “Stay tuned.”
The conflict arose from Special Counsel Smith’s request for Judge Cannon to confirm that Trump’s co-defendants understood their lawyers’ possible conflicts. In Oliveira’s case, his lawyer, John Irving, had represented three witnesses in the case. Harbach argued that Irving’s obligations to former clients might be jeopardized during the defense.
The situation became more complex when Judge Cannon addressed Nauta’s case. Both Nauta and Oliveira were accused of obstructing the federal government’s investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents post-presidency.
Harbach contended that Nauta’s lawyer, Stanley Woodward, might have potential conflicts due to his past representation of another witness in the case, identified as “Trump Employee,” later revealed as Yuscil Taveras, an internet technology aide.
The hearing, marked by tension between Harbach and Judge Cannon, ended abruptly, leaving the resolution of the conflicts of interest issue uncertain. Stay tuned for further updates on this ongoing case.
