Special Counsel Jack Smith has escalated the investigation into former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified U.S. material after leaving office by adding new criminal counts against him. Trump now faces an additional charge of willful retention of national defense information and two obstruction counts related to alleged efforts to delete surveillance footage at Mar-a-Lago after receiving a subpoena.
One of the pivotal revelations in the latest indictment is the possession of a document that Trump displayed during a recorded interview at his Bedminster golf club in July 2021. While Trump initially dismissed the significance of the documents, claiming it was merely “bravado,” prosecutors now confirm they have the document in question.
The indictment sheds light on events surrounding the FBI’s visit to Mar-a-Lago on June 3, 2022, to collect classified documents. During this visit, agents noticed surveillance cameras near the storage room. A few weeks later, the Department of Justice contacted Trump’s team, requesting the video footage from these cameras.
Trump, along with co-defendant Walt Nauta and newly added co-defendant Carlos De Oliveira, a maintenance worker, have all been charged in connection with an alleged attempt to delete the surveillance footage from the property. The charges include engaging in misleading conduct, corruptly persuading another person to withhold or alter records, and altering, destroying, mutilating, or concealing records from an official proceeding.
As the investigation progresses, the former president’s legal team will undoubtedly face mounting challenges, as new evidence emerges, leaving the political and legal spheres eagerly awaiting the outcome of this high-stakes case.