A hearing for one of Donald Trump’s criminal cases descended into a shouting match over “garbage” extortion claims.
Stanley Woodward, a defence lawyer representing the former president’s valet, claimed prosecutors had threatened to derail his promotion to judge if his client did not work with the investigation against Mr Trump.
The claim prompted a furious response from prosecutor David Harbach, who was eventually told to calm down by the judge as he pounded the lectern in front of him.
It marks yet another chaotic development in the case, which was due to start this week but has been delayed indefinitely amid a litany of pre-trial issues.
Mr Trump, who was not present at Wednesday’s hearing, faces 40 felony charges over mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. US state secrets were allegedly stored in locations including a ballroom and a shower at the club.
Walt Nauta, a valet to the former president, is charged with helping his employer obstruct the government in retrieving those documents.
Mr Woodward, acting for Mr Nauta, said he was under consideration to be elevated to a judge by Joe Biden but prosecutors suggested they could derail this if his client did not work with investigators.
“I think the implication was that I was to travel and convince Mr Nauta to cooperate with the investigation, and if I didn’t, there would be consequences,” he told the court.
As a result, he argued, Mr Nauta had been subjected to a “selective and vindictive prosecution” by the government.
Mr Harbach became agitated when Aileen Cannon, the judge, asked if he kept a record of the meeting with Mr Woodward in August 2022.
‘A garbage argument. It did not happen’
It was a “garbage argument” made up to get the charges against his client dismissed, Mr Harbach insisted.
“Mr Woodward’s story of what happened at that meeting is a fantasy,” he shouted, pounding the lectern in front of him. “It did not happen.”
He added, reportedly while waving his arms: “This is a lawyer whose allegations amount basically to him being extorted.”
Judge Cannon reprimanded the prosecutor, saying: “I’m going to have to ask that you calm down.”
She questioned the lack of evidence about the conversation in August 2022. Prosecutors said they had preserved any record they had of the meeting – although it was not recorded.
Mr Woodward promptly offered to testify under oath about the conversation.
Mr Harbach also hit back at claims that Mr Nauta was being singled out for prosecution, claiming he had lied to FBI agents and a grand jury while deleting video evidence.
“Show me someone who has done all that and I’ll show you someone indicted,” he said.
Mr Nauta faces six federal charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document, and concealing a document in a federal investigation. All carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years.
Judge Cannon did not issue a ruling from the bench on Mr Nauta’s motion to dismiss the case.
At another point, she told Mr Harbach to keep his voice down as he whispered to members of his team while Mr Woodward was talking.
