{"id":2605887,"date":"2026-05-22T12:51:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T16:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/prosecutor-whose-office-helped-jack-smith-accuse-trump-of-stealing-govt-records-indicted-for-stealing-govt-records\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T12:52:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T16:52:19","slug":"prosecutor-whose-office-helped-jack-smith-accuse-trump-of-stealing-govt-records-indicted-for-stealing-govt-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/prosecutor-whose-office-helped-jack-smith-accuse-trump-of-stealing-govt-records-indicted-for-stealing-govt-records\/","title":{"rendered":"Prosecutor Involved In Trump Case Indicted For Stealing Records"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fprosecutor-whose-office-helped-jack-smith-accuse-trump-of-stealing-govt-records-indicted-for-stealing-govt-records%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2605887&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A federal prosecutor, Carmen Mercedes Lineberger, who previously helped Jack Smith pursue charges against President Donald Trump over alleged mishandling of classified documents, has been indicted herself for <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >allegedly stealing confidential government records<\/a>. Prosecutors say she secretly sent DOJ records to her personal email after renaming them to look like dessert recipes (including changing a file from Smith\u2019s Volume II Report into \u201cBundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf\u201d),allegedly in defiance of a judge\u2019s order restricting public release of the report after a dismissed case.  <\/p>\n<p>The indictment also alleges a separate incident in which she renamed an internal DOJ memorandum marked \u201cFOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY\u201d as \u201cChocolate_cake_recipe.pdf\u201d and emailed it to her personal account. Lineberger has pleaded not guilty. She worked in the Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office but was not part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sidney-powell-is-an-american-legal-giant\/\" title=\"Sidney Powell Is an American Legal Giant\">special counsel team<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aFfDPykwt74>  Associated Press\/ Youtube <\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/22\/prosecutor-whose-office-helped-jack-smith-accuse-trump-of-stealing-govt-records-indicted-for-stealing-govt-records\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Prosecutor Whose Office Helped Jack Smith Accuse Trump Of Stealing Govt Records Indicted For Stealing Govt Records&#038;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/22\/prosecutor-whose-office-helped-jack-smith-accuse-trump-of-stealing-govt-records-indicted-for-stealing-govt-records\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Prosecutor Whose Office Helped Jack Smith Accuse Trump Of Stealing Govt Records Indicted For Stealing Govt Records&#038;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/22\/prosecutor-whose-office-helped-jack-smith-accuse-trump-of-stealing-govt-records-indicted-for-stealing-govt-records\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/22\/prosecutor-whose-office-helped-jack-smith-accuse-trump-of-stealing-govt-records-indicted-for-stealing-govt-records\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Prosecutor Whose Office Helped Jack Smith Accuse Trump Of Stealing Govt Records Indicted For Stealing Govt Records&#038;body=%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/22\/prosecutor-whose-office-helped-jack-smith-accuse-trump-of-stealing-govt-records-indicted-for-stealing-govt-records\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &#038; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>A federal prosecutor whose office helped Jack Smith pursue charges against President Donald Trump over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-launches-2024-presidential-bid\/\" title=\"Trump Launches 2024 ...ial Bid\">allegedly mishandling classified documents<\/a> has now been indicted for allegedly stealing confidential government records herself \u2014 disguising them as dessert recipes to hide the evidence. <\/p>\n<p>Carmen Mercedes Lineberger was indicted on May 19 on multiple charges, including two counts of theft of government money or property after she allegedly secretly transmitted confidential DOJ records to her personal email accounts while disguising the files with names, a press release from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-ndfl\/pr\/former-doj-attorney-indicted-concealment-theft-government-records\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Department of Justice<\/a> (DOJ) claims. <\/p>\n<div id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-709701559\" class=\"d-flex justify-content-center fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 fdrlst__b89e9-entity-placement\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.flsd.714764\/gov.uscourts.flsd.714764.3.0_1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">indictment<\/a>, Lineberger obtained a copy of Smith\u2019s Volume II Report, which alleged the president and two co-defendants mishandled classified documents. The report was the subject of a legal battle after the case was dismissed, and U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon issued an order <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/01\/27\/judge-cannon-body-slams-biden-dojs-last-ditch-lawfare-effort\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">prohibiting<\/a> the DOJ and any of its employees from \u201csharing\u201d or \u201creleasing\u201d the report since Cannon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/05\/20\/politics\/prosecutor-charged-jack-smith-volume-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruled<\/a> it was \u201cnot customary\u201d for a prosecutor to release findings publicly in a dismissed case.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors allege that nearly 11 months later, Lineberger allegedly downloaded a copy of the report on her government-laptop, changed the file name to \u201cBundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf\u201d and then emailed that file to her personal email account.<strong> <\/strong>The indictment further alleges that Lineberger did so in defiance of Cannon\u2019s order that prohibited the release of such document.<\/p>\n<p>In a separate instance, Lineberger allegedly renamed a file containing an internal DOJ memorandum that was specifically labeled \u201cFOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY \u2013 INTERNAL DOJ USE ONLY\u201d as \u201cChocolate_cake_recipe.pdf\u201d and sent it to her personal email, according to the indictment.<\/p>\n<p>Lineberger entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/05\/20\/politics\/prosecutor-charged-jack-smith-volume-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> to CNN. <\/p>\n<p>Lineberger worked in the Southern District of Florida US Attorney\u2019s Office in Fort Pierce where Smith was prosecuting Trump. As CNN reported, Lineberger \u201cwas not on the special counsel team\u201d but that \u201cthe US Attorney\u2019s Office played a supporting role to some parts of Smith\u2019s work, including before the special counsel was appointed and Trump\u2019s home at his Mar-a-Lago resort was searched in 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Brianna Lyman<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/briannalyman2\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\">@briannalyman2<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/briannalyman\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/aileen-cannon\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Aileen Cannon<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Department of Justice<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/jack-smith\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Jack Smith<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/lawfare\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">lawfare<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Federal prosecutor indicted for allegedly stealing confidential records and disguising them as dessert recipes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2605888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-22-at-11.24.28-AM-scaled-e1779463581984-1024x577.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4032,33118,6215,80137,33575],"class_list":["post-2605887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-indicted","tag-legal-proceedings","tag-prosecutor","tag-stealing-records","tag-trump-case"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-22-at-11.24.28-AM-scaled-e1779463581984-1024x577.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2605887"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2605891,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605887\/revisions\/2605891"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2605888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2605887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2605887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2605887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}