WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former President Donald Trump faces additional criminal counts in U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents.
Last month Trump pleaded not guilty in Miami to federal charges of retaining classified government documents after leaving office in 2021 and obstructing the investigation. Prosecutors are accusing him of risking sensitive national security secrets.
THE NEW CHARGES
The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges that when they subpoenaed security footage from his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump gave employees direct orders to delete the videos.
Carlos De Oliveira, a maintenance worker, is now charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. According to prosecutors, De Oliveira told a coworker that “the boss” wanted security footage deleted.
The DOJ is also accusing De Oliveira of lying to investigators during a voluntary interview, where he claimed he did not know anything about boxes of classified documents at the former president’s Palm Beach home.
“Never saw nothing,” De Oliveira told the agents, according to the indictment.
The new charges surfaced during a meeting with Trump’s attorneys and the DOJ over the ongoing investigation into Trump’s role on January 6.
“This is nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him,” Trump’s campaign said in a statement.
Tonight, Trump will attend Iowa’s high-profile Lincoln Dinner where he will share the stage with Ron DeSantis for the first time.
