The 45th President of the United States allegedly ordered employee at his Mar-a-Lago estate to delete security footage that shows government documents being moved.
- Jul 28, 2023
AceShowbiz - Donald Trump has new charges looming in the case over his alleged handling of government documents. The 77-year-old billionaire - who became the 45th president of the US between 2017 and 2021 - has been charged with one count of wilful retention of defense information and two of obstruction.
Trump has, more specifically, been accused of pressuring an employee at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to delete security footage in an effort to obstruct the investigation. The footage shows the illegally-held files being moved, according to prosecutors.
Carlos de Oliveira, a maintenance worker at Mar-a-Lago, has been named as the third co-defendant in the case, alongside Trump and Walt Nauta, Trump's valet. Nauta also received two additional charges of obstruction on Thursday, July 27.
It's been alleged that Trump engaged in a scheme with Nauta and De Oliveira to delete footage of classified documents being removed from a storage room. Trump has been accused of instructing Nauta to travel to Mar-a-Lago to have the tapes destroyed. Nauta is alleged to have subsequently enlisted the help of De Oliveira as part of the plan to destroy the evidence.
Trump has been charged with more than 30 violations of the Espionage Act as part of the ongoing case, and he was recently given a trial date of May 20 next year. The date actually represents a compromise for both parties, with prosecutors initially wanting to schedule the trial for December this year.
Trump's team, on the other hand, had been keen to delay the trial until after the next presidential election, which is scheduled for November 2024. The businessman is currently preparing for another run at the White House. However, Trump could face a lengthy prison sentence if he's ultimately convicted.
Trump has always denied the allegations, and the former president recently claimed to be the victim of a "coordinated hoax." Trump also slammed current president Joe Biden in a post on social media. He said on Truth Social, "Biden is a criminal, and almost no money, by comparison, has been spent investigating him. Get smart, Republicans, they are trying to steal the Election from you! (sic)"
