WASHINGTON — Carlos De Oliveira, the Mar-a-Lago property manager charged in the Trump classified documents case, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court in Florida.
De Oliveira and his attorney, Donnie Murrell, entered the plea around 10 a.m. ET in the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce. Murrell waived a formal reading of the indictment that charged De Oliveira, former President Donald Trump and Trump aide Walt Nauta with mishandling classified government documents.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Maynard wished De Oliveira "good luck."
De Oliveira, 56, was unable to enter a plea late last month and last week because he was unable to find a Florida-based lawyer. Nauta 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 trying to delete security video at Trump’s Palm Beach club after the Justice Department sought to obtain it. They allege in the indictment 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 he was 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 late last month. Trump has also pleaded not guilty.
A trial has been set for May, in the midst of Trump's campaign for the GOP presidential nomination.
