DOJ charges prosecutor with stealing Trump documents case report
CNBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Carmen Mercedes Lineberger, a former federal prosecutor, has been indicted for stealing the sealed portion of then-special counsel Jack Smith's report on the criminal case against Donald Trump regarding classified documents.
- The indictment alleges Lineberger saved the sealed report on her government computer under the file name "Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf" and emailed it to her personal Gmail account on December 1, 2025.
- At the time, Lineberger was a managing Assistant U.S. Attorney in Fort Pierce, Florida, and faces charges including theft of government property and altering public records.
- Judge Aileen Cannon had previously barred the DOJ from releasing Volume II of Smith's report and dismissed the criminal case against Trump in July 2024 on constitutional grounds related to Smith's appointment.
- After Trump’s 2024 election to a second term, the DOJ dropped its appeal of the dismissal due to a policy against prosecuting sitting presidents; Lineberger was released without bond following her court appearance.