A former Mar-a-Lago employee has come forward with claims of unknowingly assisting in loading classified documents onto Donald Trump’s plane, amid the former president facing a trial over the mishandling of such documents.
An ex-Mar-a-Lago employee, Brian Butler, has come forward with claims that he unknowingly assisted in loading classified documents onto Donald Trump’s plane. Speaking on CNN, Butler stated he and another former employee transported 10 to 15 boxes onto the aircraft, unaware at the time they contained classified information. This disclosure comes as Donald Trump faces a trial over the mishandling of classified documents, with Butler seeking to provide transparency about the events.
In a related development, former President Donald Trump appeared at a federal courthouse in Florida, challenging criminal charges against him. These charges are part of a 40-count indictment, including allegations under the Espionage Act and obstruction, related to the possession of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property. Trump’s legal team argued that the Espionage Act charges are unconstitutionally vague and contended that the Presidential Records Act shields Trump from prosecution.
The case, overseen by US District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, revolves around whether the documents in question are considered “presidential” and hence protected under the Presidential Records Act, or if Trump illegally retained classified documents. Prosecutors maintain that the documents are presidential records, disputing Trump’s claim that he had the authority to possess them as personal items.
Trump’s legal battles extend beyond this case, as he confronts 91 criminal charges across four jurisdictions, marking the first criminal prosecution of a former US President without accusations of transmitting national defense information. The outcome of the Florida courthouse hearing could significantly impact the trajectory of this unprecedented legal case, setting the stage for either the dismissal of charges or a progression to a jury trial.