Former President Donald Trump faces new charges in a superseding indictment filed by the Justice Department on Thursday, accusing him of attempting to delete surveillance footage at his Mar-a-Lago property. The indictment also adds an additional Espionage Act charge, bringing the total number of counts against him to 42.
According to the indictment, first reported by CNN, Trump allegedly conspired with a new accomplice, Carlos de Oliveira, the property manager of Mar-a-Lago, and Walt Nauta, another co-defendant, in their attempt to delete the footage. De Oliveira was reportedly involved in determining the duration of storage for security footage and conveyed Trump’s desire to have the server deleted to another employee.
The indictment reveals that de Oliveira and Nauta meticulously planned their actions, even walking discreetly near the IT office where the surveillance footage was managed. Phone calls between Trump and de Oliveira are noted, as well as a conversation about loyalty and securing an attorney for the property manager.
Carlos de Oliveira has been summoned to appear in court in Miami on Monday. He is accused of providing false information to investigators regarding his involvement in moving boxes at the property.
Furthermore, the superseding indictment adds a thirty-second document to the charges under the Espionage Act, related to a top-secret presentation about military activity in a foreign country.
The release of the indictment coincides with a Washington grand jury’s meeting as part of another special counsel probe into Trump’s actions to retain power after the 2020 election.
In response to the indictment, the Trump campaign issued a statement dismissing the charges as a desperate attempt by the Biden administration to harass the former president and his associates.
Read the indictment below:
