WASHINGTON — Carlos De Oliveira, the Mar-a-Lago property manager charged in the Trump classified documents case, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Florida federal court.
De Oliveira and his attorney, Donnie Murrell, entered a plea of not guilty at around 10 a.m. ET in the Fort Pierce courthouse. Murrell waived a formal reading of the indictment that charged his client as well as former President Donald Trump and Trump aide Walt Nauta with the alleged mishandling of classified government documents.
Magistrate Judge Shaniek Maynard wished de Oliveira “good luck.”
De Oliveira, 56, was unable to enter a plea in late July and last week because he was unable to find a Florida-based lawyer. Nauta had pleaded not guilty after his arraignment also was postponed twice because he couldn’t find a local attorney.
Federal prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smith’s office have accused De Oliveira of attempting to delete surveillance footage at the former president’s Palm Beach club after the Justice Department sought to obtain it. They allege in the indictment against him that he told another employee that “‘the boss’ wanted the server deleted.'”
De Oliveira is also accused of making false statements to prosecutors, including the assertion that he “never saw anything” when asked whether he was involved with moving boxes of classified materials.
He was charged with Nauta and Trump in a superseding indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida in late July. Trump has also pleaded not guilty in the case.
A trial has been set for May, in the midst of Trump’s campaign during the primary elections for the GOP presidential nomination.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
