Prosecutor Charged for Emailing Sealed Trump Investigation Files
A former US prosecutor has been charged with emailing secret files to herself. The files were from special counsel Jack Smith's inquiry into Trump's handling of classified documents.
Carmen Lineberger has pleaded not guilty. She faces four charges in total.
The most serious charge carries up to 20 years in prison. A judge had ordered the files to be kept sealed from the public.
That order is the legal basis for the charges against Lineberger. She allegedly renamed the files as dessert recipes to hide the transfers. The files were reportedly renamed 'chocolate_cake_recipe.pdf' and 'Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf'.
Klear Note — Sealed files are secret court documents. The public and press cannot see them. Prosecutors who leak them face serious criminal charges.
Key Terms 3
- Special counsel A lawyer appointed to independently investigate a serious legal matter
- Sealed Kept secret by a court order and not available to the public
- Indictment A formal list of criminal charges brought against someone