Former President Donald Trump has been hit with additional charges in the investigation of his handling of classified documents. The new indictment claims Trump instructed an aide to delete security footage from his Mar-a-Lago estate, potentially obscuring evidence. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team has added to Trump’s 32-count indictment, and another of Trump’s aides is now also charged with conspiracy in the case.
Carlos De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s head of maintenance, is identified as the third defendant. De Oliveira is quoted saying that “the boss” wanted the server containing the footage deleted. The Trump campaign retaliated in a statement, but did not address these accusations directly, decrying the investigation as a desperate attempt by the “Biden Crime Family” to persecute Trump.
The additional charges encompass obstruction of justice and willful retention of national defense information. These developments place Trump in an even more precarious legal position. This alleged move to wipe a server comes as a stark contrast to Trump’s previous criticism of Hillary Clinton for her handling of her emails.
The indictment suggests that De Oliveira was asked how long the server stored footage and was told it was “the boss'” wish for the server to be deleted. If this is confirmed, Trump could be implicated in an alleged conspiracy to conceal information. The indictment also reports that De Oliveira claimed he didn’t know how to erase the server’s data. De Oliveira is thought to have assisted another aide, Walt Nauta, in relocating boxes of confidential documents after the Department of Justice issued a subpoena for Trump. Nauta still works for Trump and pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to withhold classified information from the government earlier this month.
