Revealed: Trump and Associates' Persistent Contact with Ex-Mar-a-Lago Employee Turned Witness Preceding Document Charges
Explosive revelations: Ex-Mar-a-Lago staff, now a key witness, bombarded by Trump and associates before evidence seizure Unveiling shocking interactions
Three months after the FBI seized classified records from Mar-a-Lago in August, a long-time employee of Donald Trump's private club resigned from his position. Shortly after, Trump uncharacteristically contacted the former employee on his cell phone to inquire about his sudden departure after twenty years of service at the resort, according to sources and documentation reviewed by CNN.
The employee informed the ex-president that he was interested in pursuing another business opportunity. Later, it was conveyed back to the former employee that Trump considered him to be a "good man." However, this former employee was not just any staff member at the club - he was a witness to several incidents that special counsel Jack Smith included in his federal criminal indictment against the former president for mishandling classified documents.
He had assisted in moving numerous boxes for Trump and had firsthand knowledge of the conversations mentioned in the indictment between Trump and his two co-defendants, Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira, and Trump's body man Walt Nauta - placing the former employee in a unique group of Mar-a-Lago staffers who could potentially provide valuable information to investigators.
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Reporter explains how Trump employees moved boxes day before DOJ went to Mar-a-Lago
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CNN has learned from multiple sources that Trump made a phone call to the former employee, who later became a key witness, as part of a series of contacts following an FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. These interactions included offers of legal representation, complimentary tickets to a golf tournament, and repeated reminders that the former employee could return to work for Trump.
The incidents, when viewed collectively, could have been innocent and friendly interactions between friends or business associates. However, the special counsel's office investigating Trump has taken an interest in them. Prior to Trump's indictment, the former employee shared with investigators details of how associates of the former president stayed in contact after leaving Mar-a-Lago, according to sources who spoke to CNN.
The majority of these interactions have not been reported previously, and none were mentioned in the criminal indictments.
The highlighted information reveals an under-the-radar strategy that has been employed for a long time by Trump's business and political circles to monitor allies and former associates, a matter that both prosecutors and defense attorneys are closely tracking as Trump's trials draw near.
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Trump aide Walt Nauta pleads not guilty to charges of mishandling classified documents at Mar-a-Lago
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CNN
A series of interactions
The previous employee had a strong bond with De Oliveira, often engaging with their longtime friend who has stayed committed to Trump. Public records show that the former president is covering De Oliveira's legal fees. It was also mentioned by a source that De Oliveira was the one who gave Trump the former employee's contact information after they left.
Shortly after departing his position, De Oliveira informed the ex-Mar-a-Lago staff member that he believed Trump would be interested in seeing him at an upcoming golf tournament hosted by Trump and inquired whether the former employee would like complimentary tickets.
De Oliveira also conveyed to the former employee that his previous job was still open if he wished to return to Mar-a-Lago. Nauta even went as far as to visit the former employee at his gym in person alongside De Oliveira, which was deemed unusual by one of the sources.
A lawyer representing De Oliveira did not respond to requests for comment, and a lawyer for Nauta declined to provide any comment on the interactions. Attorneys for the former employee and Trump also chose not to comment, as did a spokesman for the special counsel's office.
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Hear former Trump lawyer's advice to indicted Mar-a-Lago property manager
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In early 2023, the former employee hired his own attorney after suspecting that he might be subpoenaed by federal investigators investigating the classified documents case, according to sources. During this time, he continued to have frequent contact with De Oliveira, who mentioned that the former employee was not using a lawyer provided by Trump and highlighted the potential expense of a lawyer outside of the Trump fold.
John Rowley, a top lawyer on Trump's defense team, once left a voicemail for a former employee informing them of a grand jury subpoena related to the documents case. Despite asking the employee to call him back, they never did. This voicemail's existence was previously made public by The New York Times. In an interview with the newspaper in September, Rowley stated that his intention was to assist witnesses in need of legal representation, not to influence testimony. It is common for corporations to provide lawyers for lower-level employees caught up in an investigation, and this does not necessarily indicate ethical compromise.
The question of whether Trump employees would use defense lawyers provided by the former president has been a concern in the case. For example, one Trump employee who reached an agreement with prosecutors and provided information that led to the indictment of De Oliveira only did so after changing from a lawyer provided by Trump to a federal public defender.
Following that incident, the prosecutors in the case have been careful to ensure that Nauta, De Oliveira, and other witnesses are informed about the potential conflicts of interest that could arise from a limited number of Trump-funded attorneys representing multiple individuals in the case.
De Oliveira's decision to enlist a lawyer provided by Trump caught the attention of investigators, leading them to mention it in the indictment detailing his alleged involvement in the obstruction conspiracy with Trump and Nauta. The indictment stated that De Oliveira secured a lawyer funded by Trump after discussions about his loyalty and capabilities with Nauta and others. Additionally, during a birthday celebration at a South Florida casino in August 2022, Trump personally called De Oliveira to inform him that he would arrange for an attorney.
