Exclusive: ‘Trump Employe 5,’ inadvertently involved in the transportation of confidential documents, speaks out.

A seasoned Mar-a-Lago staff member, identified as a key witness in the inquiry into former President Donald Trump’s handling of confidential records, has chosen to speak out publicly. Brian Butler, also known as “Trump Staffer 5” in the indictment of classified documents led by special counsel Jack Smith, revealed in an exclusive conversation with CNN his conviction that voters deserve to know the truth about his ex-employer and the case, particularly in the lead-up to the November election.

In the interview, Butler dismissed the characterization of the criminal case against Trump as a “witch hunt,” a term frequently used by the former president. Butler’s testimony before federal investigators played a pivotal role in shaping crucial aspects of last year’s charges of criminal obstruction against Trump and his co-defendants, namely Walt Nauta, Trump’s personal aide, and Carlos De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager who had been Butler’s close friend until recently.

Having dedicated two decades to service at Mar-a-Lago, Butler has been in regular communication with investigators, personally funding his legal representation. Notably diverging from the Trump-centric circle he once belonged to, Butler finds himself distinct from former colleagues and friends as his ex-boss faces scrutiny in multiple federal investigations.

In an exclusive revelation to CNN, Butler disclosed how, unwittingly, he assisted Nauta in transporting boxes of classified materials from Mar-a-Lago to the former president’s plane in June 2022. This event coincided with Trump and his attorney meeting with the Justice Department at Mar-a-Lago concerning the classified documents.

On that peculiar day, June 3, 2022, Nauta approached Butler with an unusual request, seeking to borrow an Escalade from the car service managed by Butler for Mar-a-Lago. Given that Butler and his valets typically handled loading luggage onto Trump’s plane for their summer trip to New Jersey, the request struck Butler as atypical, as Nauta seldom dealt with such tasks and approached the matter with caution.

Butler recounted how Nauta and De Oliveira loaded the Escalade before driving it to West Palm Beach airport. As Butler arrived with his own vehicle filled with Trump family luggage, he assisted Nauta in loading both the luggage and bankers boxes onto Trump’s plane. Unbeknownst to Butler, the bankers boxes contained documents of significance.

Leaving Mar-a-Lago and informing Nauta of his departure, Butler led the way to the airport, with Nauta following closely. Upon reaching the airport, Butler unwittingly loaded the luggage he brought and assisted Nauta in loading numerous boxes onto the plane, unaware of the contents within.

“These were the very same white bankers boxes mentioned in the indictment – that’s what sticks in my memory, what I loaded,” Butler emphasized.

In the wake of the FBI’s retrieval of numerous government documents from Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, Butler opted to depart from his position as a valet and manager at the club, driven in part by a burgeoning desire for a fresh start.

Having contemplated the idea of making his involvement in the obstruction case against Trump public for months, Butler finally took the decision to exclusively speak with CNN in West Palm Beach on Monday. His motivation stems from a deep-seated commitment to truth-telling, wishing to share his perspective with those who may harbor doubts about the case’s facts.

Butler, previously undisclosed in the public domain, is denoted six times as “Employee 5” in the Justice Department’s indictment related to Trump. The mentions of Butler in the indictment merely scratch the surface of his knowledge, encompassing details he could potentially elaborate on if summoned as a witness. According to Butler, he has already disclosed this information to prosecutors, providing insights into situations where others may have remained tight-lipped or allegedly misled.

A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team and Nauta’s attorney both refrained from commenting to CNN. John Irving, the attorney representing De Oliveira, issued a statement expressing eagerness to hear more about Butler’s account in a courtroom setting under oath, emphasizing the inappropriateness of trying the case through media channels.

The spokesperson for the special counsel’s office also chose not to provide a comment.