In an interview aired Friday, former President Donald J. Trump denied any misconduct in connection with security footage which has become the subject of a federal investigation. This followed the addition of new charges by prosecutors on Thursday, asserting that Mr. Trump had instructed his staff at his Florida resort to erase the tapes in question. Mr. Trump, a leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, clarified his position during a conversation with conservative radio personality John Fredericks. He suggested that, despite his belief that there was no obligation to provide the security tapes from his Mar-a-Lago property, he had done so. "We delivered these security tapes. I’m not even certain about their allegations," Trump stated. Jack Smith, the U.S. Special Counsel, brought three additional criminal counts against Trump on Thursday, which makes the total charges now stand at forty. Included in the list of accused is Carlos De Oliveira, a maintenance worker at Mar-a-Lago. De Oliveira is alleged to have aided Mr. Trump in the concealment of documents and is charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. According to the filings, De Oliveira, 56, reportedly told another Mar-a-Lago employee that "the boss" demanded the deletion of certain security footage after the Justice Department had issued a subpoena for it. Furthermore, prosecutors accused De Oliveira of making false statements to the FBI during a voluntary interview, falsely denying any involvement in the movement of boxes containing classified documents at the resort. Attempts to reach De Oliveira's lawyer for comment were unsuccessful. In his radio interview, Mr. Trump portrayed the recent charges as a bullying tactic. "Yesterday they targeted two exemplary employees, fine people," he said. "They're trying to intimidate people into fabricating falsehoods about me. I am innocent." The former president remained resolute in his political ambitions, declaring that he would not suspend his 2024 presidential campaign even if convicted and sentenced for the litany of charges against him.
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