Democrat alleges Trump ‘sold out’ US security in classified documents case

Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has requested Attorney General Pam Bondi release remaining investigative files related to Donald Trump's handling of classified documents after leaving office. Raskin alleges newly released records indicate Trump retained highly sensitive documents, possibly for personal enrichment, and may have shown a classified map to others. He cites a 2023 memo suggesting the documents were so sensitive that only a handful of people had access. The original 2023 indictment against Trump, accusing him of withholding government records, was dropped before he returned to office in 2025. The Department of Justice responded by calling Raskin's accusations "baseless" and a "cheap political stunt," accusing him of being biased against Trump. Raskin has requested answers to his questions by March 31 and the release of files by April 14.

Newly released records in the dismissed classified documents case against Donald Trump have raised concerns from a leading House Democrat regarding national security risks and potential business motivations. Congressman Jamie Raskin stated that FBI investigators believed the classified documents Trump kept after leaving office were relevant to his business interests and were commingled with later-created documents. Some documents were highly sensitive, and one box was scanned and stored on an aide's laptop. Trump allegedly took classified documents on a flight to his New Jersey golf club in June 2022 and showed a classified map to a campaign official. Raskin suggested Trump may have compromised national security for personal gain and questioned if the document release violated a gag order. The case, led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, accused Trump of illegally storing national defense documents and obstructing retrieval efforts.

Federal prosecutors investigated whether Donald Trump disclosed a classified map to individuals on his plane after leaving office, including Susie Wiles, his current White House chief of staff. A Justice Department memo from January 2023, prepared for then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, detailed the incident. This is the second known instance of Trump allegedly showing a classified map to Wiles, the first being at his Bedminster club. The map shown at Bedminster was a military map of Afghanistan, and it is unclear if it is the same map shown on the plane. While Trump was indicted for retaining classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, the map disclosure was not charged separately, possibly because the information was no longer considered national defense information. The memo also highlighted the sensitive nature of the classified documents Trump retained at Mar-a-Lago.