Former federal prosecutor Carmen Lineberger has been accused in the U.S. of illegally copying and forwarding classified documents related to former Special Counsel Jack Smith's case against Donald Trump. This was reported by the New York Post, according to UNN.
According to the investigation, 62-year-old Lineberger sent copies of a sealed report to her own email address, disguising the files under the names "chocolate cake recipe" and "bundt cake recipe."
The case materials state that the forwarded files included internal U.S. Department of Justice communications and an official memorandum.
"Lineberger has been charged with several counts, including theft of government property, falsification of documents in a federal investigation, and concealment of official records," the report says.
During a court hearing in West Palm Beach on Wednesday, the former prosecutor pleaded not guilty.
Carmen Lineberger previously served as an Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney in Fort Pierce, where Jack Smith filed charges against Donald Trump in 2023 for the improper storage of classified documents at the Mar-a-Lago residence.
Smith's report itself was sealed by a decision from Federal Judge Aileen Cannon in February 2025. The judge, a Trump appointee, had previously dismissed the case, stating that Jack Smith was appointed as Special Counsel unconstitutionally, without U.S. Congressional approval.
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