Former US President Donald Trump remains defiant, denying any wrongdoing in relation to security tapes sought by federal investigators. Prosecutors added three new criminal counts on Thursday, bringing the total to 40, alleging that Trump ordered employees at his Florida resort to delete the videos.
Despite the mounting legal pressure, Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, maintains his position. In an interview with conservative radio host John Fredericks, he claimed that he believed he wasn’t obligated to hand over the security tapes from his Mar-a-Lago resort, but chose to do so regardless.
U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s latest charges also involved a maintenance worker at Mar-a-Lago, Carlos De Oliveira. De Oliveira, 56, faces accusations of conspiracy to obstruct justice, allegedly assisting Trump in concealing documents by erasing security videos of the property in Florida after the Justice Department subpoenaed them. He was also charged with lying to the FBI during an interview, falsely denying his involvement in moving the tapes.
Despite the legal turmoil, Trump expressed no intention of abandoning his 2024 presidential campaign, even if he is convicted and sentenced on the multiple charges leveled against him.