Carmen Lineberger, former managing assistant U.S. attorney in Fort Pierce, Fla., faces Justice Department charges for stealing sealed records related to the special counsel investigation into Donald Trump's mishandling of classified documents. Lineberger allegedly violated a January 2025 sealing order by Judge Aileen M. Cannon for Jack Smith's final report.

The indictment accuses Lineberger of emailing an internal memorandum and Smith's report to a personal account, concealing the files under labels "chocolate cake recipe" and "bundt cake recipe." Prosecutors filed four charges against Lineberger, including theft of government property and falsification of records.

Lineberger was arraigned in West Palm Beach, Florida this week. If convicted of the most serious charge—destruction or falsification of records—she could face up to 20 years in prison. This case adds another twist to a politically sensitive matter that appeared resolved after Judge Cannon dismissed the charges and prosecutors dropped their bid to reinstate them as Trump returned to the White House.