In a shocking development surrounding the investigation into Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents, a new superseding indictment has been unveiled, claiming that the former president “requested” the deletion of security camera footage at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Prosecutors assert that this move was an attempt to prevent the potentially incriminating footage from being presented to a federal grand jury.
This incident forms the basis of one of the obstruction-related charges against Trump, which were made public recently.
According to the indictment, two of Trump’s employees, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, were also implicated in this matter. Prosecutors claim that after the Justice Department issued a subpoena for the security camera video, Nauta and De Oliveira attempted to delete the footage. De Oliveira, who worked as a maintenance worker at the Mar-a-Lago resort, allegedly conveyed to another employee in the IT department, identified as Employee 4, that “the boss” (referring to Trump) wanted the server deleted.
Employee 4 responded that he was unsure how to carry out such a request and didn’t believe he had the authority to do so. He suggested De Oliveira contact a supervisor of security at the Trump Organization instead. Despite this response, De Oliveira persisted, asking what should be done in the situation. The indictment further indicates that De Oliveira inquired about the retention period of the server’s security footage, to which the IT employee responded that it was approximately 45 days.
De Oliveira then allegedly emphasized to Employee 4 that the conversation should remain confidential between the two of them. The indictment also highlights a series of events following the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago, including a call from Trump to De Oliveira offering him legal representation. Additionally, Nauta’s involvement in the situation came under scrutiny when he took an unplanned trip to Mar-a-Lago shortly after Trump’s attorneys received a draft subpoena from prosecutors.
During this trip, Nauta and De Oliveira were observed together, examining the surveillance cameras at the security guard booth. The new superseding indictment further mentions that a few weeks after the FBI search, Nauta contacted another unidentified employee to ensure De Oliveira’s loyalty, and a Signal chat group discussion affirmed the maintenance worker’s loyalty.
On the same day, Trump personally called De Oliveira, informing him that he would provide an attorney for his legal defense, according to the latest indictment.
The new charges add to the mounting legal challenges surrounding the former President’s actions during his tenure after leaving the White House.
