Newly released body camera footage shows the a 2022 arrest of Zach Witkoff, son of Witkoff Group founder Steve Witkoff and a former executive working under his father.
Witkoff was arrested outside of the Miami nightclub E11even in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2022, the Newsground reported. The independent publication uncovered court records and bodycam footage related to the arrest, which stemmed from a fight at the club.
During the confrontation with police, the then-28-year-old Witkoff can be heard claiming he was the one who had been assaulted, which a nearby security guard contests.
Witkoff goes on to say he is friends with Marc Roberts, a Miami developer and co-founder of the nightclub. The nightclub impresario and his partners are also behind the E11even Hotel & Residences and E11even Residences Beyond, a two-tower development across the street from the nightclub.
“I literally did nothing … I’m friends with Marc Roberts,” Witkoff can be seen telling a man who appears to be a security officer for the club.
“I don’t give a fuck, nobody cares, you understand that, right?” the man says. “Stop dropping names.”
Witkoff was ultimately charged with felony possession of cocaine, as well as disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Following the arrest, Witkoff posted bond and entered a not guilty plea. Formal charges were filed the next month, but prosecutors ultimately decided against pursuing the case, voluntarily dropping it.
Witkoff, the son of Witkoff Development founder and current Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Real Deal. He told the Daily Beast that “the incident occurred during a difficult period in my life, and I’m deeply embarrassed by it.”
“It was an isolated mistake that does not reflect who I am or how I live my life today. Not long after, I got married and started a family—something that changed everything for me,” he said in a statement. “Since then, I’ve lived a disciplined, substance-free lifestyle, with my focus on my family and my responsibilities.”
Witkoff has been in the headlines recently as World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture he co-founded with the Trump family, deals with problems of its own. This week, initial investor Justin Sun sued the cryptocurrency company, according to the Daily Beast, accusing the firm of “criminal extortion” after his assets were frozen and he was prevented from cashing out on his investment. Sun alleges the actions of the company cost him more than $275 million.
Witkoff said the lawsuit “is a desperate attempt to deflect attention from Sun’s own misconduct. His claims are entirely meritless, and World Liberty looks forward to getting the case thrown out promptly.”
Witkoff and his brother, Alex, own World Liberty Financial alongside several members of the Trump family, which has a 60 percent stake in the company. The company’s crypto investments lost roughly $1 billion in a year, according to Forbes.