New defendant in Trump documents case follows Trump delaying tactics

Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, made his first court appearance Monday for his part in the federal case against Trump for alleged hoarding of classified and sensitive government documents. De Oliveira was named in new indictments last week, which were piled on top of the existing indictments, bringing the total charges against Trump to 40.

De Oliveira didn’t make a formal plea in this first trip to a federal court in Florida, following the example of Trump’s other codefendant, Waltine “Walt” Nauta, because he doesn’t yet have an attorney licensed to practice there. He will be formally arraigned on Aug. 10 in Fort Pierce, Florida. He was charged and released on a $100,000 bond. Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres instructed De Oliveira to not discuss his case with his co-defendants, Trump and Nauta.

That’s yet another delay in the case, undoubtedly by design. That’s a tactic special counsel Jack Smith has already had to fight, as Trump’s valet and Diet Coke provider Nauta dragged out the process of hiring a Florida attorney. He was indicted with Trump on June 8 and finally formally pleaded not guilty in his July 6 arraignment after two previously scheduled court dates were delayed by his lack of counsel. Trump’s strategy here is pretty obvious: Keep delaying the hearing until he’s officially the Republican nominee for 2024.