US special counsel names third defendant in Trump classified document case

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Carlos De Oliveira has been charged for involvement in ex-President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents.

Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged a third individual for his role in the alleged mishandling and concealment of classified documents held by former President Donald Trump.

Carlos De Oliveira, a maintenance worker at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, has been charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, lying to investigators and destroying documents, according to court documents on Thursday.

He is the second Trump employee to face federal criminal charges alongside the former president. Trump valet Walt Nauta was indicted in June, at the same time as the Republican leader.

Thursday’s updated grand-jury indictment also includes new counts against both Trump and Nauta, based on claims that they and Oliveira tried to suppress evidence by deleting Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage.

The indictment also references an incident at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, among the new charges.

In a 2021 audio recording circulated on US media, Trump can be heard describing records that outline a potential attack on Iran, telling those around him, “Isn’t it amazing? I have a big pile of papers.”

He also plays up the fact that the documents he is showing off are “highly confidential, secret”.

“See, as president, I could have declassified. But now I can’t,” Trump said in the recording.

In the wake of the new developments, Trump’s campaign issued a statement, denouncing the new charges as a politically motivated attack led by current President Joe Biden.

“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,” the statement said.

Previously, Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal charges, including 31 counts of willfully retaining sensitive national security information under the Espionage Act, five counts of concealing them and two counts of making false statements.

Earlier this month, Nauta likewise pleaded not guilty, as he faced six counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice, false statements, and withholding and concealing documents at a Miami courthouse.

This is a developing story. More information to follow.