A variety of staff members from Mar-a-Lago, including a plumber, maid, chauffeur, and woodworker, might be called upon as witnesses in the upcoming criminal trial involving former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants in Florida. Prosecutors are reportedly structuring their case around Trump’s mishandling of classified documents found at the resort.
Although some potential witnesses are from Trump’s inner circle, others, such as low-level workers, rarely noticed by the club’s guests, may shed light on the property’s operations and Trump’s handling of sensitive national security information post-presidency.
The trial, set to commence in May, may be delayed until after the 2024 presidential election, which would potentially postpone revelations about Trump’s conduct until after the election.
Prosecutors are considering utilizing these witnesses to portray the relaxed atmosphere at Mar-a-Lago under Trump’s stewardship after leaving the White House. The witnesses have already provided detailed information to federal investigators regarding security protocols at the resort and the presence of documents, boxes, and their accessibility to visitors.
Individual accounts from workers at Mar-a-Lago vary, with some expressing concern about unusual or suspicious occurrences. For example, a woodworker noticed a stack of papers in Trump’s bedroom but couldn’t determine their nature, likening them to possible movie props.
The potential witnesses range from maintenance workers to service staff, with some expressing observations that caught their attention as unusual or out of place. There’s emphasis on lax security within Mar-a-Lago in the federal indictment against Trump.
Additionally, there are reports of foreign business figures visiting the club as VIP guests, raising further questions about security and sensitive information shared at the property. The trial is expected to bring to light the club’s dynamics and potential security risks surrounding classified documents stored there after January 2021.
Trump faces charges related to mishandling national security records at Mar-a-Lago after his presidency, alongside his two codefendants, as they allegedly tried to hide some of the boxes from the government and erase security footage of their movement.
Several potential witnesses have been identified publicly, including club employees who may have been involved in attempts to delete security footage, and others who were interviewed by federal investigators. The involvement of these witnesses, who had been in contact and were privy to the FBI’s search of the resort in 2022, may play a significant role in the trial.
The interactions of federal investigators with Mar-a-Lago employees have elicited strong reactions from the former president, who was reportedly upset about his maid’s engagement with investigators. Despite the federal probe and witness involvement, Trump remained unaware of a key witness, Yuscil Taveras, who continued working at the club after reaching an agreement with prosecutors.
