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(CN) — A property manager at former President Donald Trump’s resort home Mar-a-Lago pleaded not guilty Tuesday to obstructing the investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents after he left office.
The arraignment of Carlos De Oliveira, 56, in Fort Pierce, Florida, comes weeks after prosecutors unsealed a superseding indictment that charged him with lying to federal agents, conspiracy to obstruct justice and two counts of attempting to destroy records.
Trump, who was originally indicted in June with his aide, Walt Nauta, pleaded not guilty last week to new charges tied to a botched scheme to destroy security footage at Mar-a-Lago. Nauta also pleaded not guilty to charges.
De Oliveira’s arraignment date meanwhile was postponed from last week so his attorney, Donald Morrell Jr., could enter a formal appearance in the case.
The indictment describes Trump’s removal to Mar-a-Lago of “scores of boxes” containing classified documents after he left the White House in 2021. Prosecutors say the former president showed the documents to others even as he acknowledged the records were “highly confidential."
After a grand jury issued a subpoena for the records last summer, according to the indictment, Trump ordered his employees to hide the boxes. Prosecutors say the former president told federal authorities he was “an open book,” even as De Oliveira and Nauta loaded boxes onto a plane so they could be flown north with Trump’s family.
Once prosecutors subpoenaed security footage from Mar-a-Lago, the indictment continues, De Oliveira spoke with an unidentified IT director at the resort. De Oliveira told the director “the boss” wanted the security footage deleted.
The director allegedly replied that “he would not know how to do that, and that he did not believe that he would have the rights to do that.”
Prosecutors say the footage was eventually turned over and showed the men’s attempts to hide the boxes. Federal agents seized 103 classified documents during a raid at the resort in August 2022.
Trial in the case is set for May 2024, and the Department of Justice continues to share evidence with defense attorneys in the meantime.
Trump’s attorneys asked the court last week for permission to discuss the classified evidence outside the secure facility where the documents are stored in South Florida. The attorneys argued the government’s proposed rules for protecting sensitive information were impractical and overly burdensome.
The Department of Justice said in a response filed Monday that the former president “seeks special treatment that no other criminal defendant would receive and that is unsupported by law or precedent.”
Trump’s attorneys want to discuss the documents in a secure location “at or near” Mar-a-Lago, but prosecutors say the social club with a gift shop, spa and two ballrooms is even less secure than a defendant’s typical private residence.
The Department of Justice also rejected arguments from Nauta’s attorney for his client to review classified information in the case.
Nauta’s security clearance has expired, and prosecutors argued that, unlike his boss, Nauta is not charged with unlawfully possessing the classified information.
Under the proposed rules, Nauta’s attorney can ask for permission to share classified information with their client, prosecutors said, or the court can order the government to share the information.
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