Pelosi 'heard on the phone' about new charges against Trump
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she "heard on the phone" about the superseding indictment involving Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira.
“I mean, every day we keep hearing there’s going to be another indictment about Jan. 6 and overturning the election," Pelosi said in remarks at the Voters of America Summit after she described how she heard the news about Trump on her way to the event.
She added that Trump's supporters "think he is above the law."
Some of the new charges in Trump docs case carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years
Trump faces three new charges as a result of the superseding indictment filed today, with maximum prison sentences from 10 to 20 years.
The additional count of willful retention of national defense information has a maximum sentence of 10 years, while the two additional counts of obstruction related to deleting security camera video have maximum sentences of 20 years.
Some of the charges from the initial indictment, including the conspiracy and concealment counts, carry maximum prison sentences of 20 years.
Trump, Nauta, De Oliveira tried to delete video at Mar-a-Lago, new indictment alleges
Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira tried to delete video at Mar-a-Lago last summer, prosecutors said in the new indictment.
According to the indictment, in late June 2022, the Justice Department twice communicated that a grand jury was issuing a subpoena requesting video from Mar-a-Lago. Trump's lawyers communicated that to the former president, who then asked to see Nauta, who was scheduled to travel with Trump the next day to Illinois, but he instead flew to Palm Beach, Florida.
Once he was there, Nauta met with De Oliveira. Separately, De Oliveira met with a security employee and told him that "'the boss' wanted the server deleted," the indictment says. The employee said that "he would not know how to do that, and that he did not believe that he would have the rights to do that," the indictment says.
After that exchange, De Oliveira met twice with Nauta near "bushes" on the northern edge of the Mar-a-Lago property. A little while after that, Trump called Oliveira, and they spoke briefly, the indictment says.
The indictment doesn't say whether they were able to delete any video.
New indictment likely to delay May trial date
These latest charges against the former president and his aides make it very likely the current May trial date will be pushed back.
The destruction of videotape evidence means more discovery from prosecutors, which means more opportunities to file motions to delay. The judge overseeing the case was already concerned about the mountain of evidence to digest in the case, and this will only add to it.
Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira charged with new obstruction counts over alleged attempts to delete video
Under the superseding indictment, prosecutors have charged Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira with two new obstruction counts based on allegations that they attempted to delete surveillance video at Mar-a-Lago last summer.
Trump faces additional charges in superseding indictment
Trump faced additional charges in a superseding indictment that was returned by a grand jury in the Southern District of Florida.
The former president is charged with one additional count of willful retention of national defense information, according to the new filing.
The superseding indictment also charges Trump, De Oliveira and Nauta with two new obstruction counts stemming from allegations that they attempted to delete surveillance video last summer at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.
Read the full superseding indictment
Read the full 60-page superseding indictment filed today against Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira.
Third defendant, Carlos De Oliveira, faces several charges
The third defendant added to the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, Carlos De Oliveira, faces the following charges:
- Conspiracy to obstruct justice.
- Altering, destroying, mutilating or concealing an object.
- Corruptly altering, destroying, mutilating or concealing a document, record or other object.
- False statements and representations.
Special counsel files new indictment leveling additional charges against Trump, adds new defendant
Smith has filed new indictment leveling additional charges against Trump and adding new defendant.
Lawyer for new defendant in classified docs case declines to comment
John Irving, a lawyer for Carlos De Oliveira, declined to comment when he was asked about his client’s being added today as the third defendant in Trump’s classified docs case.