Fort Pierce, Fla. - Walt Nauta, a co-defendant alongside former President Donald Trump in the federal classified documents case, asserted in court on Friday that he intends to keep his lawyer, Stanley Woodward, despite a potential conflict of interest, as reported by POLITICO. Prosecutors argue that Woodward's prior representation of an information technology specialist expected to be a crucial government witness and his ongoing representation of another potential witness creates a conflict for Nauta's defense.

Nauta and Trump face charges of conspiring to conceal classified government documents from federal investigators. The trial is scheduled to take place in Florida in May 2024.

In an effort to ensure Nauta was aware of the potential conflict, special counsel Jack Smith's team requested a hearing, which took place on Friday. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon cautioned Nauta about the risk involved in retaining Woodward as his lawyer. She advised that it could undermine his chances at trial and prevent him from arguing on appeal that his attorney's divided loyalties to a former client constituted a conflict.

However, Nauta ultimately chose to waive his right to conflict-free representation, affirming his decision to continue with Woodward.

Prosecutors have identified the witness Woodward previously represented as an IT director at Trump's Palm Beach complex, Mar-a-Lago. The IT director had allegedly been asked to delete surveillance video, potentially obstructing the federal investigation. Prosecutors claim that the witness, who changed lawyers last summer and subsequently provided incriminating information, has now entered into a cooperation agreement with the government. Expectations are high that this witness will play a significant role in the trial.

The hearing was initially scheduled for last week but had to be rescheduled after it began due to procedural issues. Judge Cannon criticized prosecutors for raising arguments that had not been properly filed in court documents.

Recent developments indicate that Woodward has informed Smith's team that he does not plan to cross-examine the IT director witness. Prosecutors argued that it would be unethical for him to do so, potentially compromising the confidentiality of a former client or undermining attempts to discredit the witness' testimony, as defense attorneys commonly do.

In a previous ruling, Judge Cannon allowed co-defendant Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, to retain his attorney despite acknowledging potential conflicts arising from the lawyer's prior representation of three potential government witnesses.

Both Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and his co-defendants, Nauta and De Oliveira, have pleaded not guilty to the charges. A spokesperson for Trump has dismissed the case as a "desperate and flailing attempt" by Democrats to harass him and manipulate the White House race.