Introduction: In the ongoing federal criminal case against former President Donald Trump, Special Counsel Jack Smith has brought forward a new defendant. Carlos De Oliveira, the head of maintenance at Mar-a-Lago, has been charged with multiple offenses, including altering, destroying, and concealing a document, making false statements, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The superseding indictment also includes additional obstruction charges against Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta, who had previously pleaded not guilty. The case centers around alleged incidents of tampering with surveillance video footage at The Mar-a-Lago Club in the summer of 2022.
New Allegations and Charges: The superseding indictment, as stated by special counsel spokesman Peter Carr, accuses Trump, De Oliveira, and Nauta of two additional counts of obstruction. These charges are specifically related to their alleged attempts to delete surveillance video footage at Mar-a-Lago. De Oliveira allegedly informed another employee about the request from “the boss” to delete a server containing surveillance footage, while denying any involvement in the transfer of sought-after documents to federal officials.
Involvement of Carlos De Oliveira: The indictment highlights De Oliveira’s alleged involvement in assisting Nauta in moving boxes of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after the Department of Justice issued a subpoena for the remaining records. Additionally, he is accused of being part of an effort to delete security footage, ostensibly to prevent its presentation before a federal grand jury.
A New Dimension to the Case: The addition of Carlos De Oliveira to the case against Donald Trump brings a fresh perspective to the federal criminal investigation. The superseding indictment introduces multiple charges against Trump, Nauta, and De Oliveira, primarily centering around alleged acts of obstructing justice through tampering with surveillance video footage and classified documents. As the legal proceedings progress, it remains to be seen how the defense will address these charges and how the case will unfold within the federal court system.