Judge scolds prosecutors as she delays hearing for co-defendant in Trump classified documents case

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A judge on Thursday scolded federal prosecutors in the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump as she abruptly postponed a hearing to determine if the lawyer for a co-defendant had a conflict of interest.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon accused prosecutors of “wasting the court's time” by raising new arguments that they had not made in earlier court filings. She said she would set a hearing for a later date for Walt Nauta, a Trump valet charged with conspiring with Trump to conceal classified documents from investigators.

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team had asked for hearings to ensure that Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira were aware of potential conflicts because their lawyers previously represented other key figures in the case. Both men were charged alongside Trump with obstructing government efforts to recover classified documents hoarded at Mar-a-Lago, the former president's Florida estate.

Prosecutors have said in court filings that the multiple representations could create a conflict by causing a lawyer to betray the confidences of a current or former client, or “pull punches,” during cross-examination.