A man who worked as an IT director at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort has reportedly retracted an earlier testimony, implicating Trump in his classified documents case.
Yuscil Taveras, previously identified as “Trump Associate 4,” appears to have changed his story after deciding to replace Stanley Woodward, an attorney funded by Trump’s Save America PAC.
In June, Taveras was informed that he was under investigation for perjury and was offered a public defender.
According to the same court filings, that change appears to have led to Taveras potentially working with Special Counsel Jack Smith and testifying against Trump, former White House counsel and valet Walt Nauta, and Mar-a-Lago maintenance manager Carlos de Oliveira on the case misuse of classified information.
“Immediately after receiving a new attorney, Trump Associate 4 retracted his earlier false testimony and provided information implying Nauta [Carlos] De Oliveira and Trump in efforts to delete security camera footage, as set forth in the substitute indictment.”
Yuscil Taveras, previously identified as “Trump Employee 4,” appears to have changed his story and will now testify against the former president. Pictured: Donald Trump in a Manhattan courtroom in April
Special Counsel Jack Smith filed 37 charges against Trump over his handling of classified documents
The former president and current Republican primary candidate was indicted in June on 37 counts related to violating the Espionage Act, intentionally keeping classified documents and refusing to return them to the federal government.
Nauta, a Trump aide and White House valet, is also charged with conspiring to obstruct an FBI and grand jury investigation. Nauta pleaded not guilty – as did the former president.
Trump has denied the allegations as he now faces four separate criminal charges.
The most recent filing went on to say that the federal government “expects to call Trump associate 4 as a witness at the trial and expects him to testify regarding the conduct alleged in the replacement indictment regarding the destruction of security materials.”
“Trump employee 4 will most likely face cross-examination for his previous inconsistent testimony in his testimony before the grand jury made when Mr. Woodward represented him, which he denied immediately after obtaining new counsel,” it was further said.
The indictment, filed in July by Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office, references Mar-a-Lago’s chief IT officer, “Employee 4,” who questions whether he has “the right” to wipe security servers.
The indictment says De Oliveira questioned staffer 4 — now revealed to be Taveras — in an audio cabinet at the club and said “the boss” wanted the server “deleted” — in a likely reference to Trump, the personal one Had telephone conversations with De Oliveira.
“Trump Associate 4 responded that he did not know how to do this and did not believe he had the right to do so,” the indictment said.
The three suspects in the case have all appeared on charges in a Miami court, with De Oliveira being included in the indictment in July.
De Oliveira has worked at the Palm Beach Club for a decade and was promoted to maintenance manager last year.
His attorney, John Irving, called it “regrettable” that the Justice Department had indicted his client and said it was time prosecutors “walked their talk”.
A supplemental indictment charged De Oliveira with conspiring to erase security footage of document boxes at Mar-a-Lago after a grand jury subpoena requested their return.
The indictment cites that he communicated with another club employee about the security footage and told him “the boss” wanted it deleted.
It is also said that he lied when he denied to government officials that he had ever moved boxes at the club or had any knowledge of it.
Carlos De Oliveira, 56, (center) is flanked by his attorney and security guards as he exits federal courthouse July 31
Walt Nauta, a former Trump adviser and White House valet, was also charged in the investigation. He pleaded not guilty – as did Trump and De Oliveira
“Never seen anything,” he is quoted as saying.
His landlord, Tiberio Almeida, said he moved from Portugal to Massachusetts and then to Florida over 30 years ago. According to the Washington Post, his promotion came after he impressed his boss by redesigning ornate metalwork on club doors.
De Oliveira, Trump and Nauta face charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice in the case, which relies on classified government documents found in Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s presidency ended in 2021.
De Oliveira is also accused of lying to investigators. Prosecutors allege he falsely claimed he didn’t even see boxes being brought to Mar-a-Lago after Mr Trump left the White House.