A former senior federal prosecutor has found herself at the centre of a striking new Justice Department scandal after prosecutors accused her of secretly emailing herself confidential records tied to the Jack Smith investigation into Donald Trump, allegedly disguising the files as cake recipes. Carmen Lineberger, once a top official in the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, was indicted this week on multiple criminal charges, including theft of government property, concealing public records and altering official documents.
Charges against Lineberger
At the heart of the case is a highly sensitive section of former US Special Counsel Jack Smith's final Trump investigation report. Specifically, a portion that a federal judge had blocked from public release.
According to the newly unsealed indictment, Lineberger allegedly downloaded the classified-documents section of Smith’s report, known internally as "Volume II," in December 2025 and saved it under the filename "Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf" before emailing it from her government account to her personal email.
Prosecutors say she used a similar tactic months later with portions of another internal Justice Department memo, allegedly storing those files as "Chocolate_cake_recipe.pdf."
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The indictment does not explain what prosecutors believe her ultimate motive was, nor whether the documents were ever shared further. Lineberger pleaded not guilty during her arraignment on Wednesday.
Why the report matters: Hint - these might be the most politically sensitive unreleased documents
The document at the centre of the controversy comes from Jack Smith’s investigation into Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office back in 2020.
Trump had been accused of retaining sensitive government records at Mar-a-Lago and obstructing efforts to recover them, charges he repeatedly dismissed as politically motivated. The case collapsed later after Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Smith's appointment was unlawful.
Since then, Trump’s return to the White House has further complicated matters, as longstanding Justice Department policy bars prosecution of a sitting president.
Notably, even after the criminal case was dismissed, Cannon blocked the release of Volume II, arguing that public disclosure could prejudice ongoing cases involving Trump associates. This makes the report one of the most politically sensitive unreleased documents in Washington.

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