A former Justice Department prosecutor has been charged with sending herself copies of an unreleased volume of special counsel Jack Smith’s report tied to the classified documents investigation involving President Trump.
Carmen Lineberger pleaded not guilty Wednesday in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, to charges including obstruction of justice, concealing government records, and theft of government property. Prosecutors allege Lineberger, who previously served as managing assistant U.S. attorney in Fort Pierce, forwarded the restricted report and other internal DOJ communications from a government email account to personal Hotmail and Gmail accounts.
The unreleased report volume concerns Smith’s investigation into classified documents kept at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon previously blocked the report’s public release.
According to the indictment, Lineberger allegedly attempted to hide the files by renaming documents “Chocolate_Cake_Recipe.pdf” and “Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf” before transferring them. Prosecutors have not disclosed what additional DOJ materials may have been included in the emails.
If convicted on all counts, Lineberger faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The case is being prosecuted by the Northern District of Florida due to potential conflicts involving the Southern District of Florida office where Lineberger previously worked.
