WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A longtime employee of Donald Trump who testified before a grand jury in the case involving the former president's handling of classified documents described a culture of loyalty around Trump that drives people to extreme lengths to protect him.
Brian Butler, who was referred to in the secret documents indictment as “Trump Employee No. 5,” provided stunning testimony to federal prosecutors last year who used that information to later indict Trump. Butler, the central witness in the case, is one of several Trump employees who could play a key role in the trial.
In an interview with NBC News, Butler recalled the time he testified before a grand jury last year after meeting with special counsel Jack Smith in Washington, D.C.
He said there were “about twenty” jurors, including one who appeared to be asleep. “I could see their eyes closed,” he explained.
the interview He said that the events took place in a “dark room, somewhat like an old room.” “It was like being in a closet.” None of the jurors asked questions.
But prosecutors from Smith's office “were interested in everything,” Butler said.
Smith, a Mar-a-Lago employee for 20 years, told Reuters he believes the culture surrounding the former president could make those around him more likely to break the law — including on behalf of Trump. He spoke about the actions of Carlos de Oliveira, a fellow employee who accused Trump.
“I said, 'I bet 95 out of 100 people in Carlos' shoes would do exactly what he did,'” Butler recalls. “I think there are a lot of people who would do whatever he asked if he asked, for sure. Look at Weisselberg.”
Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg pleaded guilty this month to lying under oath in Trump's civil tax fraud case, and has remained loyal to Trump. He now faces a second period behind bars.
Facing charges alongside Trump in the documents case are Walt Nauta, who worked as Trump's servant and continued to work for him after leaving the White House, and De Oliveira, the Mar-a-Lago real estate manager, who was indicted by federal prosecutors on the charges against him. He tried to delete the security video at the club and that he told another employee that “the boss” wanted it deleted.
Nota and De Oliveira were with Trump last week during a hearing in Fort Pierce, Florida, where their lawyers exchanged notes during the appearance before Judge Eileen Cannon.
Butler, in an interview with CNN in which he revealed his identity for the first time, described his close friendship with De Oliveira and provided years of text conversations attesting to their relationship. He said De Oliveira was very loyal to Trump.
His own view of the Palm Beach Club began to change after Trump won the 2016 presidential election and new members joined the club, who seemed only interested in the access they could get from the new president. There was a foreign billionaire who “wouldn't go unless he was there,” Butler recalls.
“It has become very transactional,” he said. “You see the same people here, coming to kiss the ring every day.”
After leaving his job at the club in November 2022, Butler said it was not long before he heard from Trump directly. “It was the day after Thanksgiving, and he wanted to know why I was leaving,” he said.
Trump said Butler could return if he wanted to. The call was not unusual for Butler at the time, but he now believes the former president may have been trying to show him the loyalty that Trump himself expects from those around him.
“Now, it feels completely different,” Butler said.
Trump was indicted last year on 40 criminal counts over his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House and intentional obstruction of federal investigators who were trying to recover them. He has denied all wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty.
The other two defendants in the Trump case, Nauta and de Oliveira, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Cannon did not set a date for Trump's trial in the secret documents case, but government prosecutors and defense lawyers said they believe the trial could take place during the summer.
