Carmen Mercedes Lineberger, a former federal prosecutor in Florida, is facing federal felony charges for allegedly emailing herself a sealed investigative report concerning President Donald Trump. Lineberger, who served as a managing assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida and managed its Fort Pierce branch, is accused of sending Volume II of special counsel Jack Smith’s report to her personal Hotmail account.
Court papers unsealed Wednesday allege that Lineberger attempted to hide the documents by using deceptive subject lines and file names, specifically "chocolate cake recipe" and "Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf." She is facing two counts of theft of government money or property, as well as charges related to the alleged alteration of the documents.
The report detailed Smith’s investigation into Trump’s hoarding of classified records at his Mar-a-Lago property and the obstruction of government efforts to recover them. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had barred the public release of the findings, ruling that it would be unfairly prejudicial after Smith abandoned the case following Trump’s 2024 election victory.
Lineberger appeared in a Palm Beach court where she pleaded not guilty to the charges. She worked in the same judicial district where the original documents case against Trump was filed.