Trump co-defendant makes first appearance in Miami courthouse for classified documents case

MIAMI — Donald Trump’s newest co-defendant in the classified documents case, Carlos De Oliveira, made his first appearance in federal court in Miami on Monday.

The Mar-a-Lago property manager is accused of helping Trump conceal boxes of classified documents from investigators after the former president left office. A grand jury indicted De Oliveira Thursday on four counts, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, concealing an object and making a false statement.

De Oliveira did not enter a plea Monday. Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres released him on a $100,000 personal surety bond — a routine piece of paperwork he need only sign — and ordered De Oliveira not to discuss the case with potential witnesses.

Torres also said the Palm Beach Gardens resident cannot travel outside South Florida without permission. Monday's hearing lasted roughly 10 minutes.

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Trump, who faces 40 counts, and his aide Walt Nauta, who faces eight, have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Prosecutors say the former president mishandled dozens of classified documents he took from the White House and schemed with members of his staff to hide them from investigators.

FBI agents seized boxes of classified documents containing military and intelligence secrets during a search of Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 — more than a year and a half after Trump left office.

The indictment, updated last week to name De Oliveira as a co-defendant and press additional charges against the former president, says De Oliveira helped Nauta move dozens of boxes while federal investigators searched for them.

According to the indictment, De Oliveira told another member of Trump's staff that “the boss” wanted the server for surveillance cameras deleted after investigators issued another subpoena for video of the Palm Beach estate. The staffer refused.

In an interview with the FBI on Jan. 13, De Oliveira denied helping unload or move boxes for Trump. He left the courthouse Monday with his Washington D.C.-based attorney, John Irving, who told reporters that it's time for prosecutors "to put their money where their mouth is."

He declined to say whether De Oliveira was asked to testify against Trump. Irving said De Oliveira is working to obtain a local lawyer ahead of his arraignment, which Torres scheduled for Aug. 10 in Fort Pierce. Without an attorney licensed to practice in the Southern District of Florida, he cannot enter a plea.

Nauta faced a similar problem when he was first charged, with Torres delaying his arraignment until the last-minute addition of Fort Pierce-based attorney Sasha Dadan to his legal team.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon tentatively scheduled their trial to begin May 20 despite a push by Trump's attorneys to delay it until after the presidential election. Trump has said he will continue his bid for reelection if convicted.

Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump trial update: Mar-a-Lago property manager makes first appearance