Former Prosecutor Accused of Stealing Confidential Documents
A former federal prosecutor is facing serious allegations of misconduct related to confidential documents connected to the Trump administration, stemming from an investigation led by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Carmen Mercedes Lineberger, who is 62 years old, has been indicted on two felony counts for document theft, along with additional charges linked to the broader government inquiry.
Interestingly, Lineberger was not placed in custody after her charges and didn’t need to pay any bail for her release.
The accusations detail how she allegedly emailed herself sealed documents, disguising the emails as cake recipes. According to officials, she previously worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, situated in Fort Pierce.
The documents in question are part of Smith’s investigation into President Donald Trump and two associates over allegations regarding the mishandling of national security records following Trump’s first term.
On Wednesday, Lineberger pleaded not guilty to the charges.
It’s reported that one of the emails was titled “Chocolate Cake Recipe,” while another file bore the name “Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf.”
Federal Judge Eileen Cannon sealed Volume 2 of Mr. Smith’s report, and Lineberger is said to have violated that sealing order, taking steps to conceal her actions.
Before her retirement in December, she had spent nearly two decades at the prosecutor’s office.
If found guilty of the more serious charge, she could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, with lesser charges carrying penalties of up to three years and one year for each of the two document theft counts.
In related developments, Judge Cannon, appointed by Trump, previously ruled that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional, suggesting the case should be dismissed.
In October 2024, the Trump administration claimed that releasing the special counsel’s report could be seen as interference in the presidential election, a statement echoed by former campaign spokesperson Stephen Chan, who mentioned that “radical Democrats” were attempting to disrupt the election in favor of then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
