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A former Justice Division prosecutor was charged Wednesday with allegedly emailing confidential information tied to former particular counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into President Donald Trump.
Carmen Mercedes Lineberger, 62, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, faces 4 felony fees stemming from her dealing with of Smith’s closing report: one felony depend of obstruction of justice, one felony depend of concealing authorities information and two misdemeanor counts of theft of presidency property valued at lower than $1,000.
In line with the indictment filed within the Southern District of Florida, Lineberger allegedly altered digital file names of presidency information to hide unauthorized transmissions of the paperwork to her private electronic mail accounts.
On the time, she was serving because the Managing Assistant U.S. Lawyer for the Fort Pierce department of the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Southern District of Florida.
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Jack Smith, former particular counsel, arrives for a closed-door deposition earlier than the Home Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 17, 2025. (Getty Photos)
U.S. District Choose Aileen Cannon beforehand blocked the general public launch of the quantity of Smith’s report associated to the categorised paperwork investigation involving Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in January 2025.
FBI Director Kash Patel introduced the fees in a publish on X.
“This afternoon, a former managing assistant U.S. Lawyer who supported Jack Smith’s politicized investigation of President Trump has been charged with stealing the confidential investigation paperwork,” Patel wrote. “Carmen Lineberger allegedly emailed the confidential materials to her personal private electronic mail, disguising them as dessert recipes to hide them from file searches.”
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Former particular counsel Jack Smith arrives to testify earlier than the Home Judiciary Committee about his felony investigation of President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22, 2026. (Kylie Cooper/Reuters)
Lineberger’s lawyer declined to remark to Fox Information Digital.
Smith beforehand introduced indictments in opposition to Trump alleging he illegally tried to overturn the 2020 election and improperly retained categorised nationwide protection data.
The categorised paperwork case was later dismissed by Cannon, who dominated Smith had been unlawfully appointed as particular counsel.
Former President Donald Trump seems in federal courtroom in Fort Pierce, Fla., on March 14, 2024, as his legal professionals ask Choose Aileen Cannon to dismiss particular counsel Jack Smith’s fees associated to categorised paperwork. (Lothar Speer/Unknown)
Prosecutors alleged Lineberger hid her actions by saving digital copies of presidency information beneath deceptive file names, together with “chocolate cake recipe” and “bundt cake recipe,” earlier than sending them to non-public Hotmail accounts.
In line with the indictment, Lineberger acquired a replica of Smith’s report earlier than Cannon ordered it sealed. Months later, she allegedly forwarded the report back to her private electronic mail account.
The indictment additional alleges Lineberger knew transmitting the quantity exterior the Division of Justice violated Cannon’s courtroom order.
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Then-Particular Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on an unsealed indictment together with 4 felony counts in opposition to former President Donald Trump in Washington on Aug. 1, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Photos)
Lineberger pleaded not responsible throughout a federal courtroom look Wednesday.
If convicted, she faces as much as 20 years in jail on the obstruction cost, three years for concealment or removing of public information and as much as one 12 months on every theft depend.
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