WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 It\u2019s a stunning new allegation in an already serious case: Former President Donald Trump sought to delete Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage to obstruct the Justice Department\u2019s investigation into his handling of classified documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest criminal charges unsealed Thursday deepen Trump\u2019s legal jeopardy, alleging a more central role for the former president than previously known in a cover-up that prosecutors say was meant to prevent them from recovering top-secret documents he took with him after he left the White House. Coming as Trump braces for possible additional indictments related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the new allegations strengthen special counsel Jack Smith\u2019s already powerful case against Trump while undercutting potential defenses floated by the former president, experts say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBefore these new charges, you could maybe try some sort of defense that \u2018this was all a mistake, it was my staff\u2019 or confusion about what documents he actually had,\u201d said former federal prosecutor Randall Eliason, a George Washington University law professor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut especially now, when you\u2019re trying to destroy video footage,\u201d he added, \u201cthat\u2019s kind of the final nail in the coffin. I don\u2019t see much in the way of a defense, not a real defense. All he can do is claim he\u2019s being persecuted and hope for a holdout juror or something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n