Posted on 05/20/2026 1:21:50 PM PDT by Red Badger
A former Miami-based DOJ attorney was indicted for stealing a copy of Jack Smith's report on Trump's classified documents investigation.
Carmen Lineberger, the former Managing Assistant US Attorney, in Fort Pierce, Florida, was indicted on two counts of theft of government money or property, valued less than $1,000; destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations; and concealment, removal, or mutilation of public records.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Lineberger, 62, stole a copy of Jack Smith's report, which was previously ordered by Judge Aileen Cannon to be kept secret, and sent it to her personal email account.
The indictment accuses Lineberger of sending the Jack Smith report to herself with misleading subject lines "chocolate cake recipe" and "bundt cake recipe."
Lineberger pleaded not guilty on all four felony counts. She is facing more than 20 years in prison.
Per the DOJ:
The indictment alleges at the time of the offenses the defendant served as the Managing Assistant United States Attorney (MAUSA) of the Fort Pierce branch of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. In separate instances in late-2025, the defendant altered the electronic file names of government records that she received in her official capacity as the MAUSA in order to conceal her unauthorized electronic transmission of those records to personal email accounts belonging to her without being detected.
The altered government records included a document compiled by the defendant consisting of portions of internal DOJ electronic messages and an internal DOJ memorandum, and a DOJ report related to a criminal prosecution in the SDFL that had been court-ordered to remain under seal and prohibited from distribution or disclosure outside of DOJ.
As alleged in the indictment, the defendant concealed her actions by saving electronic copies of the government records in question under the misleading files names “chocolate cake recipe” and “bundt cake recipe” before electronically transmitting those records to her personal email accounts.
As to the DOJ report, the indictment further alleges the defendant acted knowing that her transmission of the record outside DOJ directly violated the court order and impaired the proper administration of the underlying criminal prosecution.
Lineberger appeared in federal court today for her arraignment before Southern District of Florida Chief United States Magistrate Judge William Matthewman in West Palm Beach, Florida.
If convicted, Lineberger faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment for destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations, three years’ imprisonment for concealment, removal, or mutilation of public records, and up to one year imprisonment on each count of theft of government property valued at less than $1,000.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt from the Northern District of Florida, who was assigned as a special prosecutor to avoid conflicts of interest with the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
In February, Judge Aileen Cannon permanently blocked the release of Jack Smith’s report on the classified documents case against President Trump.
Cannon, a Trump appointee, slammed Jack Smith for compiling the Trump report after she dismissed the case.
“Special Counsel Smith and his team went ahead for months, undeterred, preparing [the classified documents report] using discovery collected in connection with this proceeding and expending government funds in the process,” Judge Cannon wrote in a 15-page ruling.
“To say this chronology represents, at a minimum, a concerning breach of the spirit of the Dismissal Order is an understatement, if not an outright violation of it.”
“While it is true that former special counsels have released final reports at the conclusion of their work, it appears they have done so either after electing not to bring charges at all or after adjudications of guilt by plea or trial. The Court strains to find a situation in which a former special counsel has released a report after initiating criminal charges that did not result in a finding of guilt,” Cannon wrote.
Last year, Judge Cannon blocked the Justice Department from sharing Jack Smith’s classified documents report with Congress.
Judge Cannon, during a hearing, appeared skeptical of Merrick Garland’s plan to give Jack Smith’s Volume 2 final report on Trump’s classified documents case to Congress.
Cannon repeatedly asked DOJ lawyers why they needed to show the classified documents report to lawmakers. The Judge also asked if the final report was safeguarded from being leaked to the public.
“Why is there such urgency to disclose this to Congress right now, prior to the conclusion of the criminal proceeding — which would seem to be the ordinary course?” Cannon asked DOJ attorney Elizabeth Shapiro, according to Politico. “At the end of the day, what’s the upside of doing this right now?”
Cannon said the final report contains information that Trump’s lawyers argued was protected under attorney-client privilege.
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Great news.
She will be tried in FLA, not in DC.
Cannon will probably be the Judge.
She is in a heap of trouble.
I think Cannon would have to recuse herself from the case due to personal involvement.............
Bkmk
MacArthur’s Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don’t think that I can take it
‘Cause it took so long to bake it
And I’ll never have that recipe again
Oh, no
No comments on what Lineberger intended to do with this stolen report
I assume it was stolen with the intent to “leak” it to the likes of Washington Post or NY Times.
Media smear, Democrat talking points and innuendo was the entire intent of Smith’s case anyway
so I assume her “stealing” it was part of that operation?
More of Comey and Brennan’s self-identified “legions”
Will Lineberger have a serious accident before she can roll over?
Good. Remember the last time something like this happened? Clinton stooge Sandy Berger stole classified documents by shoving them down his pants. It was all covered up by Clinton joking about it and Berger paying a fine with no jail time. At least one Democrat hopefully will be held to the same standard used to crucify Republicans.
20 Years for “Orange Man Bad”?
Looking forward to her conviction and incarceration until dead.
I hope they have all her communications to examine for collusion.
Why? She's the trial judge in this case.
In no other case has a judge had to recuse when someone violated their gag order or leaked sealed records.
Cannon sealed volume 2 of the Jack Smith document because she voided his entire investigation ab initio. It would be extremely prejudicial if it were leaked, as none of it was cross-examined in a court of law.
It is the classic fruit of the poisonous tree. Cannon would be the very judge to hear the case of the person who violated her order.
-PJ
Or she could pull her in on contempt charges in addition to the other charges. Judges have enormous power to punish lawyers for not following the courts orders.
Should have used ‘yoga lessons’ as the title.
FBI Director Kash Patel
@FBIDirectorKash
·
6m
🚨 This afternoon, a former managing assistant U.S. Attorney who supported Jack Smith’s politicized investigation of President Trump has been charged with stealing the confidential investigation documents.
Carmen Lineberger allegedly emailed the confidential material to her own personal email, disguising them as dessert recipes to conceal them from record searches.
Lineberger is charged with four felony counts in the indictment.
This FBI will not hesitate to bring to account those who violated the trust of the American public in an investigation that should’ve never been brought to begin with.
Huh???? Are you really that ignorant? Cannon has zip zero nada to do with a thief stealing shit from her case. This is ALL on the DOJ “attorney”
Funny how they always end up looking just as I picture them.
Bill Clinton FIRED EVERY DOJ ATTORNEY ON DAY ONE!
Even those who were in court at the time!........
Here is a link to the indictment:
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.714764/gov.uscourts.flsd.714764.3.0_1.pdf
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