A former employee of former president Donald Trump has stepped forward with shocking revelations about his involvement in the movement of classified documents. The former Mar-a-Lago employee was mentioned as “Trump Employee 5” in special counsel Jack Smith’s Florida indictment of Donald Trump.
Brian Butler, the former valet, shared his perspective with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. He detailed his experiences and observations during his time at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Butler has cooperated with Smith’s team by providing testimony to federal investigators multiple times.
He also explained his reason for coming forward publicly at this time. He expressed that he desired to reveal the truth to voters before the 2024 presidential election in November.
He disagreed with the notion that the criminal case against Trump is a “witch hunt,” despite Trump’s repeated claims. He stated that political motives did not drive Trump’s prosecutions.
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He also wanted to provide clarity and transparency following the political discourse surrounding the upcoming election. “I personally would just say I just don’t believe that he should be a presidential candidate at this time. I think it’s time to move on,” Butler said. “I think the American people have the right to know the facts, that this is not a witch hunt.”
Butler spoke to federal investigators, and his testimony was crucial in building last year’s criminal obstruction case against Trump. Butler, who worked at Mar-a-Lago for two decades, has been in regular contact with investigators. He hired his own lawyer and distanced himself from Trump’s circle.
Butler told CNN how he unwittingly assisted Walt Nauta, Trump’s aide, in transporting boxes of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago to the Trump’s plane in June 2022. This incident occurred on the same day Trump and his lawyer met with the Justice Department at Mar-a-Lago regarding classified materials.
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On June 3, 2022, Butler recalled receiving an unusual request from Nauta. Nauta approached him to ask if he could borrow an Escalade from the car service Butler managed for Mar-a-Lago. This request came as Trump and his family prepared to depart for New Jersey for the summer.
Butler recounted how Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, a property manager at Mar-a-Lago, loaded an Escalade with luggage and documents. Butler, unaware of the contents of the bankers’ boxes, helped load them onto Trump’s plane along with the luggage.
“They were the boxes that were in the indictment, the white banker’s boxes. That’s what I remember loading,” Butler added. Also, Butler was present during several conversations that reportedly revealed how Trump was instructing his closest aide Nauta, De Oliveira, and others to obstruct federal authorities.
For months, Butler had contemplated disclosing his involvement in the obstruction case against Trump. Especially since he kept a close eye on developments in the criminal proceedings. He finally chose to speak exclusively with CNN in West Palm Beach on Monday.
However, Trump’s lawyer and Nauta’s lawyer declined to comment to CNN. John Irving, the attorney for De Oliveira, made a statement saying, “We look forward to hearing more about Mr. Butler’s version of events when he is under oath and subject to penalty of perjury in the courtroom where that belongs, and we decline to try this case in the media.”
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