Trump accused of asking staffer to delete camera footage in Florida classified
Donald Trump news: Donald Trump faces new charges in the classified documents case that accused him of asking a staffer to delete camera footage at his Florida in an effort to obstruct the federal investigation into his possession of the records, according to an updated indictment unsealed Thursday.
)
Donald Trump news: Donald Trump faces new charges in the classified documents case that accused him of asking a staffer to delete camera footage at his Florida in an effort to obstruct the federal investigation into his possession of the records, according to an updated indictment unsealed Thursday. The indictment includes new counts of obstruction and willful retention of national defense information, compounding Trump's legal jeopardy even as he braces for a possible additional indictment in Washington over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The additional counts underscore the extent of the yearlong investigation into Trump that first produced charges last month in the form of a 38-count indictment against Trump and his valet Walt Nauta.
Surveillance footage at the Mar-a-Lago complex has long been central to the investigation because, according to prosecutors, it showed Nauta moving boxes of documents in and out of a storage room including such action one day before a visit by FBI and Justice Department officials. A Trump spokesperson dismissed the new charges as nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden administration to harass President Trump and those around him" and to influence the 2024 presidential race.
The updated allegations in the indictment center on surveillance footage at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. Trump is alleged to have asked to have the footage deleted after FBI and Justice Department investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents that he took with him after leaving the White House a year earlier. Law enforcement officials issued a subpoena for the footage after noticing surveillance cameras while they were there. The indictment quotes a Mar-a-Lago property manager, Carlos De Oliveira, telling a colleague that the "boss" wanted a server hosting the footage to be deleted. It says De Oliveira went to the IT office last June, took an employee to a small room known as the "audio closet" and asked the person how many days the server retained footage.
When the employee said he didn't believe he was able to delete footage, De Oliveira insisted the "boss" wanted it done, asking, "What are we going to do"" De Oliveira was added to the indictment, charged with obstruction and false statements related to an interview he gave the FBI earlier this year. The superseding indictment charges Trump with an additional count of willfully retaining national defense information, relating to a July 2021 interview at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club in which the former president discussed U.S. Military plans to attack another country. The interview was for a memoir being written by his onetime chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who in his subsequent book named the country as Iran.
According to the indictment, Trump returned that document, which was marked as top secret and not approved to show to foreign nationals, to the federal government on Jan. 17, 2022.
It marks a notable shift in the prosecution's approach to Trump's case, charging him for retaining a document it alleges the former president knew was highly sensitive after he left office " and not just for failing to return it to the government when asked.
Catch latest minute-by-minute stock market updates here. For all other news related to business, politics, tech, sports and auto, visit Zeebiz.com.
Get Latest Business News, Stock Market Updates and Videos; Check your tax outgo through Income Tax Calculator and save money through our Personal Finance coverage. Check Business Breaking News Live on Zee Business Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube.
RECOMMENDED STORIES

LIC Saral Pension Plan: How to get Rs 64,000 annual pension on Rs 10 lakh one-time investment in this annuity scheme that everyone is talking about

Gratuity Calculation: What will be your gratuity on Rs 45,000 last-drawn basic salary for 6 years & 9 months of service?

Rs 1,500 Monthly SIP for 20 Years vs Rs 15,000 Monthly SIP for 5 Years: Know which one can give you higher returns in long term

LIC Saral Pension Plan: How much should you invest one time to get Rs 64,000 annual pension for life?

Income Tax Calculations: What will be your tax liability if your salary is Rs 8.25 lakh, Rs 14.50 lakh, Rs 20.75 lakh, or Rs 26.10 lakh? See calculations

8th Pay Commission Pension Calculations: Can basic pension be more than Rs 2.75 lakh in new Pay Commission? See how it may be possible

SBI Revamped Gold Deposit Scheme: Do you keep your gold in bank locker? You can also earn interest on it through this SBI scheme

Monthly Pension Calculations: Is your basic pension Rs 26,000, Rs 38,000, or Rs 47,000? Know what can be your total pension as per latest DR rates
08:00 AM IST