Trump Probed Post Revelation of 'Secret' Mar-a Lago Trip That Aides 'Kept Quiet' on Before FBI Search

Former President Donald Trump took a quiet trip to Mar-a-Lago in July 2022, before the FBI searched the lavish residence. News of this 'secret' trip came to light on Monday, June 24 as ABC News reported that special counsel Jack Smith's team raised suspicions over Trump moving top-secret government documents. The trip hints at Trump's additional effort to obstruct investigation after he received a subpoena to return the classified documents. 

Sources claim that Trump was "checking on the boxes" during the trip before the FBI team arrived. The aides allegedly kept quiet about the same despite it being an unusual visit. Trump would generally enjoy his time during the summers at his Bedminster club in New Jersey. Interestingly, at the time, the Mar-a-Lago estate was undergoing construction and repair work and hence was not fit for stay when Trump arrived. Upon inquiry by Smith's team, they held the view that Trump marked the visit to overlook the developments of the site. ABC News had previously also reported that the ex-President had changed the lock of his closet in the residence which was ignored by the FBI and not checked. 

The investigators claimed that the security camera footage showed the ex-president's aides moving boxes from the resort storage to his residence. Additionally, property manager, Carlos De Oliveira, was investigated on the allegations of attempting to delete security camera footage. Addressing the same, Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign spokesperson, stated, "The entire documents case was a political sham from the very beginning and it should be thrown out entirely." Meanwhile, a witness told the special counsel, "They were keeping this one quiet...nobody knew about this trip." 

William Nauta, the former President's bodyman and valet had texted a Trump employee, "I'm pretty sure [Trump] wants minimal people around on Monday," before the Mar-a-Lago visit. Trump was indicted by Smith in 2023, for unlawfully keeping the classified documents about a foreign nation's nuclear weapons. The documents according to Raw Story, had sensitive information that could lead to disaster if they landed in the wrong hands. De Oliveira was roped in during the indictment on Trump as he had received a text from Nauta that read, "Coming down to FL soon" with a shushing emoji that hinted at keeping their arrival a secret. 

De Oliveira had earlier stated that he had no idea about Trump's arrival in Florida. However, the special counsel presented evidence that countered the claims. The 56-year-old was eventually charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, lying to the FBI, and destroying evidence, as reported by Politico. De Oliveira is a Portuguese immigrant, who worked at Mar-a-Lago for more than a decade and became the property manager in 2022, after holding various positions.