Former Federal Prosecutor Indicted for Allegedly Stealing Sealed Jack Smith Report on Trump Case

A former federal prosecutor has been charged in a four-count indictment for allegedly stealing a sealed volume of a report prepared by then-special counsel Jack Smith. The report was central to the investigation into former President Donald Trump regarding his retention of classified government documents after leaving office in January 2021.

The indictment, which was unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, names Carmen Mercedes Lineberger as the defendant. Lineberger, 62, served as a managing Assistant U.S. Attorney in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the alleged misconduct.

According to court filings, the Department of Justice alleges that Lineberger took steps to conceal the theft of the sensitive material. Specifically, prosecutors claim she saved the sealed portion of the Smith report on her government-issued computer under the deceptive file name “Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf.”

Details of the Alleged Data Theft

The charges stem from an incident occurring in late 2025. Prosecutors allege that on December 1, 2025, Lineberger emailed the report from her official Department of Justice (DOJ) email account to her personal Gmail account. The document in question is the sealed volume of the report prepared by the special counsel’s office concerning the criminal case against Donald Trump.

The unsealed indictment details a multi-step process of unauthorized access and transmission. By renaming the file to appear as a recipe, Lineberger allegedly attempted to bypass standard scrutiny of her digital activity on government systems. The indictment outlines these specific actions as the basis for the four-count charge brought against her.

Legal Context and the Jack Smith Investigation

The stolen documents are part of a high-profile investigation led by then-special counsel Jack Smith. That investigation focused on the handling of classified government documents following the end of Donald Trump’s presidency in January 2021. While that specific criminal case is described as defunct, the report prepared by Smith remains a significant legal document.

The theft of a “sealed” volume is a serious allegation within the federal justice system. Sealed documents are protected by court order to ensure that sensitive information, grand jury testimony, or ongoing investigative details are not made public prematurely or improperly. The unauthorized removal of such files by a high-ranking official—such as a managing Assistant U.S. Attorney—represents a significant breach of departmental protocol and judicial integrity.

The Defendant’s Role and Background

At the time of the alleged theft, Carmen Mercedes Lineberger held a position of significant authority within the Department of Justice. As a managing Assistant U.S. Attorney in Fort Pierce, Florida, she would have been responsible for overseeing legal proceedings and managing prosecutorial staff in that district.

The indictment marks a rare instance of a sitting or former prosecutor being charged with the theft of investigative materials from a special counsel’s office. The charges highlight the rigorous digital and procedural safeguards intended to protect sensitive government intelligence and investigative work product.

Summary of Allegations

As the legal proceedings move forward in the Southern District of Florida, the focus will remain on the extent of the data breach and whether any further sensitive information was compromised during the alleged transmission to a personal email account.

The next official update regarding this case is expected to follow the upcoming court hearings or further filings from the Department of Justice. We will continue to monitor developments in the Southern District of Florida.

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