The unnamed “Trump employee 4” mentioned in the superseding federal indictment against former President Donald Trump has been identified as Yuscil Taveras, the director of information technology at Mar-a-Lago.
CNN and NBC News revealed the name on Friday. The reports said that Mr Taveras oversaw the surveillance camera footage at the property.
He had a conversation with the third co-defendant named in the superseding indictment – Carlos De Oliveira – who was a maintenance supervisor at Mar-a-Lago. He suggested their chat “remain between the two of them,” the indictment states. Mr De Oliveira asked to have a private discussion in an “audio closet.”
Mr De Oliveira then asked how long the server retained footage, to which Mr Taveras responded that he believed it was approximately 45 days. Mr De Oliveira then said “the boss” wanted the footage deleted.
But Mr Taveras said that not only did he not know how to do that but “that he did not believe that he would have the rights to do that,” the filing states, adding that Mr De Oliveira would have to reach out to the supervisor of security. Reiterating the wishes of “the boss,” Mr De Oliveira then asked, “what are we going to do?”
CNN reported that special counsel Jack Smith’s team had previously heard testimony about “odd conversations” about surveillance footage between Mr Taveras, and two other co-defendants, Carlos De Oliveira and another employee, Walt Nauta.
Thursday’s superseding indictment added more charges to the existing pile against Mr Trump. His 2024 presidential campaign dismissed the charges in a statement, calling them “nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him.”
On Friday morning, the former president said in a radio interview that regardless of whether he is convicted or incarcerated, he would continue to run for president.
