In a courtroom showdown, a federal prosecutor vehemently denied allegations of vindictive prosecution and prosecutorial misconduct made by one of former President Donald Trump's co-defendants in the classified documents case. The heated exchange between prosecutor David Harbach and defense attorney Stanley Woodward took place on Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.

Harbach forcefully dismissed Woodward's claims that his client, Walt Nauta, was indicted in retaliation for not cooperating with the government, labeling the argument as "garbage" from the outset. Woodward further asserted that another prosecutor had tried to pressure him by bringing up his application for a judgeship during a meeting. Harbach called this account a "fantasy," asserting that it never happened and would still not meet the standard of vindictive prosecution if it had.

Under questioning from Judge Cannon, Harbach criticized Woodward's alleged quotes from the meeting as "fragmentary" and "out of context." The back-and-forth became increasingly heated, prompting the judge to intervene and request that Harbach calm down.

Woodward, however, stood by his claims, stating that the events in question indeed transpired and that he was willing to testify under oath about the meeting. Prosecutor Jay Bratt, who was also present in court, did not address the judge during the morning hearing.

In the afternoon, Judge Cannon held another hearing to review Nauta's motion seeking to dismiss the charges against all three defendants (Trump, Nauta, and Carlos De Oliveira) due to alleged procedural failures in the indictment. However, no ruling was made on either motion. The trial, initially scheduled to start on Monday, has been indefinitely postponed by Judge Cannon, as she cited numerous legal issues that still need to be addressed.

Former President Donald Trump faces multiple felony counts in the case, including willful retention of national defense information, false statements and representations, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, and corruptly concealing a document. Nauta and De Oliveira are accused of aiding Trump in hiding the documents, making false statements to federal investigators, and plotting to delete crucial Mar-a-Lago security footage that had been subpoenaed by the Justice Department. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.

The courtroom drama continues as the trial's future remains uncertain, with unresolved motions and legal obstacles to contend with.