A newly disclosed congressional memo has revealed explosive allegations regarding former President Donald Trump’s handling of highly classified materials during his post-presidency period. According to the document provided to Congress, Trump reportedly displayed a classified map to passengers aboard a private aircraft in 2022 and retained another record of such sensitivity that access was restricted to merely six government officials nationwide.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, characterized the Justice Department memo as ‘damning’ evidence of Trump’s misconduct with classified documents. The 2023 document, originally prepared for Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation, further contends that Trump deliberately withheld certain records to advance his personal business interests.
The memo specifically identifies a classified map that prosecutors believe Trump showed to individuals onboard a private flight, with Susan Wiles—currently serving as Trump’s chief of staff—reportedly among the passengers. These allegations formed part of Smith’s federal prosecution regarding Trump’s retention of classified materials after leaving office.
The White House has vehemently rejected these claims, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson stating that Raskin possesses ‘zero credibility’ and asserting that President Trump ‘did nothing wrong.’ The Justice Department similarly dismissed the memo’s credibility while not disputing the accuracy of Raskin’s quotations from the document.
The legal context surrounding these allegations has evolved significantly. A federal judge previously dismissed the case against Trump due to concerns about the propriety of Smith’s appointment. Following Trump’s re-election in 2024, Smith dropped his appeal in accordance with longstanding Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.
The Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee has launched its own investigation into Smith’s prosecution of Trump, examining what they characterize as an ‘unprecedented lawfare campaign’ against the former president. The full memo remains confidential, with only excerpts being released to congressional oversight bodies.