A new dispute surfaced on Wednesday regarding records in the Trump classified documents case. U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin accused the Justice Department of improperly sharing classified documents with Congress, prompting fierce criticism from both the White House and the Justice Department.
White House Press Secretary Abigail Jackson responded to Raskin’s allegations during an interview, calling him an unreliable Democrat who clings to “deranged” narratives from special counsel Jack Smith.
Raskin, who is the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi on March 24. In this letter, he claimed that the Justice Department inadvertently provided unreleased documents revealing that President Trump held onto classified materials relating to his business and potentially disclosed them to third parties after his presidency.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing involving classified documents, including during the FBI’s 2022 raid of Mar-a-Lago, where agents were seeking materials he allegedly retained post-presidency. He was later indicted by Jack Smith in 2023 for retaining national defense information and obstructing recovery efforts.
Raskin further contended that the Justice Department failed to adhere to a court order to keep certain aspects of the classified documents case sealed, notably Smith’s final report, which Democrats have long pressed for Congress to receive.
In response, the White House characterized Raskin’s letter as “pathetic.” Officials pointed out that Smith would have had to dismiss the case against Trump had he won the 2024 election. Judge Eileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, ruled in July 2024 that Smith’s appointment was unconstitutional and subsequently dismissed the case. Smith appealed, but after Trump’s election victory, withdrew his appeal, citing a Justice Department policy that prevents prosecution of sitting presidents.
In a statement, Jackson emphasized that Trump did nothing wrong, suggesting that he successfully overcame the Biden Justice Department’s efforts against him and won the election decisively, gathering nearly 80 million votes.
A spokeswoman for the Justice Department characterized Raskin as “blinded with hatred” for Trump and defended the department’s transparency. They dismissed Raskin’s accusations as unfounded, stating no violation of Judge Cannon’s confidentiality order occurred and asserting that the documents produced did not compromise grand jury issues.
Raskin’s letter highlighted that some documents from the Justice Department indicated certain classified materials were so sensitive that only six officials had access, implying that Trump might have used these materials for personal gain. Additionally, he noted a memo suggesting Trump had “shown” classified maps to people on his private plane.
Raskin also accused the Justice Department of selectively releasing information to Congress while withholding others, particularly mentioning the second volume of Smith’s final report, which Cannon ordered to be sealed but is currently under appeal.
The sealed report has become a focal point for Democrats as they believe it could provide new insights into the matter. Conversely, Republicans argue that the investigation is politically driven and any information must comply with Cannon’s orders.
A spokesperson for the committee accused the Justice Department of performing “legal gymnastics” to block the release of Smith’s report and claimed it was an attempt to protect Trump’s “corrupt business interests.”
An FBI raid in August 2022, which seized 33 boxes from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion, was controversial; some details of the search, like an employee going through Melania Trump’s wardrobe, drew significant attention. Prosecutors justified their actions in court, arguing that Trump had withheld boxes during initial compliance efforts, compelling them to obtain a search warrant.
Trump has decried the entire investigation and prosecution as a “fraud” orchestrated by the Biden administration.
In his letter, Raskin requested the Justice Department to supply various documents related to the case and answer inquiries regarding who had access to the classified materials.
