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    Ex-Federal Prosecutor Indicted For Stealing Copies Of Unreleased Jack Smith Report

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    A former federal prosecutor has been indicted after allegedly taking copies of a still-unreleased volume of former special counsel Jack Smith’s report on his investigation into President Donald Trump — and allegedly disguising the files with names like “Chocolate_Cake_Recipe.pdf.”

    The case is raising fresh questions surrounding the highly controversial legal effort against Trump and how officials involved in the process handled sensitive government materials.

    Federal prosecutors charged former Justice Department official Carmen Lineberger, 62, with four counts tied to allegedly stealing and concealing government records. During a court appearance Wednesday in West Palm Beach, Florida, Lineberger pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance.

    According to the indictment, Lineberger — formerly the managing assistant U.S. attorney in Fort Pierce, Florida — received a restricted copy of a volume of Smith’s report last year and allegedly forwarded it, along with internal Justice Department communications, to personal Hotmail and Gmail accounts.

    Prosecutors claim she attempted to conceal the transfer by changing file names to appear harmless, including “Chocolate_Cake_Recipe.pdf” and “Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf.”

    The indictment, however, does not allege why Lineberger moved the files to personal accounts, nor does it accuse her of leaking the materials publicly. Court records also do not specify what other internal DOJ records may have been transferred alongside the Smith report.

    If convicted on all charges — including obstruction of justice, concealing government records, and two misdemeanor theft counts — Lineberger faces a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison, though actual sentences in federal cases are often significantly shorter under sentencing guidelines.

    The report at the center of the controversy remains largely hidden from public view.

    The volume reportedly focuses on Smith’s investigation into classified documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence after he left office. That investigation became one of Smith’s two major prosecutions against Trump during the 2024 election cycle.

    Smith, appointed as special counsel in late 2022, led the federal government’s aggressive legal campaign against Trump. Beyond the Mar-a-Lago documents case, he also spearheaded the federal election interference prosecution tied to Trump’s challenges to the 2020 election results.

    Trump repeatedly blasted Smith as politically motivated and accused the Biden-era Justice Department of weaponizing federal law enforcement against him. His supporters argued that prosecutors were applying legal standards differently to Trump than to political allies and opponents.

    The classified documents case eventually suffered major setbacks after Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that Smith’s appointment as special counsel violated constitutional requirements, throwing the future of the prosecution into uncertainty. Cannon also barred public release of the report volume involved in the current Lineberger case.

    Now, the strange allegations involving hidden “cake recipe” file names are creating another unexpected chapter in the long-running legal and political saga surrounding Smith’s investigations of Trump.

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    Trump To Reportedly Pardon Hunter Binden-linked Businessman

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

    Hunter Biden’s former business partner Devon Archer is reportedly set to receive a pardon from President Donald Trump.

    Archer met with Trump over the weekend at the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia, where he said he received some “very encouraging words.”

    “I had gotten word from my attorney earlier that the president was discussing this, and he had acknowledged that he was going to do it,” Archer said of the possible pardon Monday in an interview on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

    Trump told the New York Post Sunday that he would give Archer a “full pardon” because he was “screwed by the Bidens.”

    “They destroyed him like they tried to destroy a lot of people,” Trump said, according to the outlet.

    Archer, who served on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma with Hunter, told the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door hearing in 2023 about the influence of the Biden family “brand.”

    He told investigators Hunter put his father — then Vice President Joe Biden — on speakerphone at business meetings between 10 and 20 times, although he noted “nothing of material was discussed.”

    “You didn’t think you’d ever need this [pardon] because Joe Biden said he’d take care of you. Isn’t that what he said?” Watters asked. 

    “Absolutely. Well, and so did Hunter. I mean, once a Biden, always a Biden.” Archer responded.

    “I didn’t think — first of all, I didn’t think I’d need this because I never did anything. I was a victim of financial fraud in which I invested a lot of money and was taken down [by] a whistleblower [who] was blowing the whistle on Hunter.”

    Republican Says Hunter Biden Investigation Will Move Forward

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

    The House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said the panel will continue its investigation into Hunter Biden’s criminal activity in a Thursday interview with Politico.

    “We think we need to look at David Weiss, the special counsel,” Jordan told the outlet. 

    “There will be some additional work we need to do, I think, there because when we deposed him, he wasn’t willing to — he didn’t answer any questions, really, because it was [an] ongoing investigation,” he added.

    He criticized President Biden for pardoning his son ahead of his exit from the White House on all crimes committed in a 10-year period.

    “I didn’t agree with it. I think a lot of Americans didn’t,” Jordan said.

    But he added that “the president can pardon anyone he wants to pardon.”

    Jordan’s committee launched a broad probe into Hunter Biden and his uncle James Biden for alleged unethical business dealings which prompted their testimony before members of Congress last year.

    Retired 4-Star Navy Admiral Found Guilty In Bribery Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    A retired four-star admiral who once served as the Navy’s second-highest ranking officer, was convicted of bribery and other conspiracy charges on Monday. The conviction marks the most senior member of the U.S. military ever convicted of committing a federal crime while on active duty.

    Following a five-day trial, retired four-star Adm. Robert Burke, 62, was found guilty on Monday of a scheme to direct lucrative contracts to the training company Next Jump in exchange for a $500,000-a-year job after leaving the Navy, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. 

    Burke is facing up to 30 years in prison for his role in the scheme to direct contracts potentially worth millions of dollars to a New York City-based company that offered training programs to the Navy.

    Burke, who served aboard attack and ballistic missile submarines, rose through the ranks to eventually become chief of naval personnel in 2016 followed by vice chief of naval operations in June 2019. He then took command of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command in June 2020 before retiring in summer 2022.

    Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, co-CEOs of Next Jump, allegedly participated in the scheme to get a government contract in exchange for offering Burke a position with the company.

    Kim and Messenger were each charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery, according to the case’s unsealed indictment. They face trial in August, which is when Burke will be sentenced. 

    Kim and Messenger, via their company Next Jump, provided a workforce training pilot program to a small component of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019. However, the deal appeared to go downhill and the Navy terminated a contract with the company in late 2019 and directed it not to contact Burke.

    The Hill reports:

    But in summer 2021, Messenger and Kim met with Burke in Washington, D.C., to reestablish their company’s business relationship with the Navy. While at the meeting, the two “agreed that Burke would use his position as a Navy Admiral to steer a contract” to their firm — as well as influence other Navy officers to award another contract to the company — in exchange for his future employment there, according to the Justice Department. 

    Burke in December 2021 then ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Next Jump to train personnel under Burke’s command in Italy and Spain, which the company performed in January 2022. 

    In October 2022, Burke began working at Next Jump with an annual salary of $500,000 and a grant of $100,000 in stock options. 

    Burke was accused of making several false and misleading statements to the Navy to conceal the scheme, such as implying that his discussions to join Next Jump began months after the contract was awarded.

    “When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro wrote in a post on X following the conviction. 

    Newsweek Editor Receives Backlash For Calling For Tucker Carlson Should Be ‘Neutralized’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Newsweek senior editor-at-large Josh Hammer came under fire Wednesday after publishing a column that some critics mischaracterized as calling for harm against Tucker Carlson — an accusation Hammer says is rooted in bad faith and deliberate misinterpretation.

    In his Daily Mail piece, Hammer criticized Carlson for his recent interview with controversial commentator Nick Fuentes, arguing that Carlson’s platforming of Fuentes’ “repugnant beliefs” undermines what Hammer described as “the forces of civilizational sanity on the MAGA Right.”

    The line that drew the most attention, however, came at the end of the article:

    “The fox is now comfortably ensconced in the hen house. And unless the fox is neutralized, the victim could be the entire extant GOP coalition itself.”

    Critics — many of them fellow conservatives — quickly pounced on the word “neutralized”, accusing Hammer of reckless rhetoric, particularly in light of recent violence targeting right-leaning public figures.

    Conservative Figures Sound the Alarm Over Dangerous Climate

    Among those voicing concern was The Blaze host Jason Whitlock, who called the phrasing “irresponsible,” noting that the statement came just weeks after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. “Josh Hammer calls for Tucker Carlson to be neutralized,” Whitlock wrote on X. “This is a Keith Olbermann-style Twitter post, not something that should be published by a news outlet. We just witnessed the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This is irresponsible by the Daily Mail.”

    The article was also condemned by Kirk’s former friend Candace Owens, who wrote, “I cannot believe the @DailyMail allowed this to be published.”

    Whitlock’s remarks reflect a growing anxiety across conservative media as political violence against the right has intensified. In addition to the shocking murder of Kirk, former President Donald Trump has survived multiple assassination attempts — including a rally shooting this summer that left several attendees wounded. Other conservative officials and commentators have faced threats, doxxing campaigns, and physical harassment in recent months.

    Republicans argue that these attacks are part of a broader cultural and political escalation — one amplified by a media ecosystem that downplays or outright ignores violence directed at conservatives, while eagerly condemning right-wing rhetoric as “dangerous.”

    Hammer Pushes Back: “Quit Lying”

    In response to the online backlash, Hammer took to social media to clarify his meaning and denounce what he described as willful misrepresentation.

    “One has to be truly stupid or willfully disingenuous (or both, as the case may be) to think that ‘neutralized’ here means anything other than its most common usages,” he wrote. “Quit lying.”

    He later posted a screenshot of a dictionary definition of “neutralize,” which reads: “To make (something) ineffective; counteract; nullify.” Hammer emphasized that his critique of Carlson was political — not personal — and that he was calling for Carlson’s influence to be curtailed, not for violence of any kind.

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    Trump To Sign Order To Prepare Guantanamo Bay For 30K Prisoners

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    President Donald J. Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on immigration and border security at the U.S. Border Patrol Calexico Station Friday, April 5, 2019, in Calexico, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

    President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would sign an executive order for the Pentagon to prepare Guantanamo Bay to detain 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens.”

    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    “Today I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said. “Most people don’t even know about it.”

    He said they need 30,000 beds to house the detainees, adding that putting them there will ensure they do not come back.

    “It’s a tough place to get out of,” Trump added.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Man Arrested With Body Armor, Rifle Painted Like Toy Near Trump Golf Course

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Police image via Pixabay free images

    Deputies in Los Angeles stopped what could have turned into a far more dangerous situation near a Trump-owned golf course.

    Authorities arrested a 36-year-old Arizona man after he was spotted running through traffic near Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes while armed with multiple weapons, including a loaded rifle painted to resemble a toy.

    According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect — identified as Sean Steiner of Glendale, Arizona — had been seen earlier hiking in the area with a duffel bag, step stool, and rifle before entering traffic along Palos Verdes Drive South around 5 p.m. on March 29.

    When deputies arrived, they found the rifle had been painted green and purple and marked with the phrases “HA HA HA HA” and “Why so serious?” — a reference to the Joker character from Batman. The tip had also been painted orange, “resembling a toy gun,” according to authorities.

    What may have looked theatrical was anything but harmless.

    “Not only was the rifle loaded with a round in the chamber and a full magazine inserted… he admitted he had just fired one of the pistols near the landslide area to ‘get some anger out,’” the sheriff’s Lomita Station said in a statement.

    Deputies also discovered two loaded handguns, high-capacity magazines, and additional ammunition. Steiner was wearing a ballistic vest capable of stopping rifle rounds.

    “Let that sink in,” authorities wrote. “An armed individual, firing a weapon, walking through traffic and trails… in a populated area.”

    Sean Steiner, right, is accused of multiple firearm-related felonies after Los Angeles deputies say they arrested him near a Trump-owned golf course with a semiautomatic rifle painted to look like a toy. He is also accused of firing a handgun in the brush nearby before running into traffic. (Lomita Sheriff’s Station via Fox News)

    The situation underscores how quickly a volatile scenario can escalate — and how critical early reporting can be. Officials credited witnesses who called in the suspicious behavior before anyone was injured, emphasizing the importance of the public safety mantra: “if you see something, say something.”

    Steiner now faces multiple felony firearm charges. He was booked March 29 and released on bond April 1.

    While investigators say Steiner had little prior criminal history beyond minor offenses, the incident raises broader concerns about armed individuals near high-profile locations — particularly those associated with President Donald Trump.

    It also echoes another alarming case: Ryan Routh, who was previously arrested after allegedly hiding in bushes near a Trump golf course while armed. That case, like this one, highlighted the persistent security risks surrounding prominent political figures and the critical role of vigilant law enforcement.

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    Saudi Arabia Releases Jailed US Citizen Following Trump, Crown Prince Mohammed Meeting

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Saudi Arabia has released a United States citizen who was jailed over social media posts critical of the royal family after President Trump’s meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

    Saad Almadi, 75, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1976, was arrested in 2021 during a family visit over his remarks online. He was sentenced to more than 19 years on terrorism charges but was released in 2023 and hit with an “exit ban,” which prevented him from leaving the country.

    The terrorism charges were later decreased to “cyber crimes.”

    “This day would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the tireless efforts of his administration,” the Almadi family said in a statement Wednesday. “We are deeply grateful to Dr. Sebastian Gorka and the team at the National Security Council, as well as everyone at the State Department.”

    The statement came shortly after Trump’s Wednesday speech at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum. 

    The Almadi family said the release “would not have been possible” without the work of the president and the “tireless efforts” of the administration, expressing gratitude to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh for keeping Almadi “safe.” 

    One of Almadi’s posts on social media that landed him in trouble called for a street in the nation’s capital to be renamed after Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who was murdered in 2018 while at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. 

    Crown Prince Mohammed has denied involvement in the killing of the journalist, who fled Saudi Arabia in 2017, but U.S. intelligence reports in 2021 stated the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia “approved” the operation to detain or kill the columnist.

    The 9/11 Families United organization shared similar sentiments in regards to Trump’s interactions. 

    “The crown prince knows nothing of the pain of the 9/11 families. He is actively working to impede our efforts to ensure extensive evidence of Saudi government support for al-Qaeda and the terrorist hijackers are brought to light, harboring a former agent that produced a casing video of the U.S. Capitol building, and trying to rewrite history with investments,” 9/11 Families United  told The Hill in a statement. 

    Trump said Tuesday that the crown prince “knew nothing” about Khashoggi’s murder, triggering harsh criticism from press groups. 

    “We are so excited for the family that Mr. Almadi is finally on his way back to the United States! We know how long and hard the family fought to make this day possible,” the Foley Foundation, which advocates for American hostages and wrongful detainees held overseas, said Wednesday in a statement to The Hill. 

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    Jeanine Pirro Announces Additional Charges Against DC Teens Over DOGE Employee Attack

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Jeanine Pirro, CC BY-SA 2.0,

    U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced Monday that two young men have been charged in connection with a violent summer attack on a federal staffer for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

    Federal prosecutors have charged Lawrence Cotton-Powell, 19, and Anthony Taylor, 18, with robbery, assault, and carjacking for their alleged roles in the beating of DOGE employee Edward Coristine, known to colleagues as “Big Balls,” and another individual in early August.

    According to Pirro, the pair had already been involved in another mugging — of a victim named Ethan Levine — shortly before the brutal assault on Coristine. Both suspects, she said, are repeat offenders who should never have been on the streets in the first place.

    “Lawrence Cotton-Powell is 19 years of age. He is now charged with robbery, first-degree robbery for which he faces 15 years in prison. He also faces a charge of assault with intent to commit robbery, another 15 years, and robbery for Edward Coristine, 15 years, assault with intent to commit robbery, another 15 years, and attempted carjacking, five years,” Pirro said.

    Pirro didn’t mince words when calling out judges who ignored her office’s repeated requests for jail time. Instead of protecting the public, the courts released Cotton-Powell on probation, giving him multiple chances to reoffend — and, according to prosecutors, he did just that.

    Watch:

    This latest attack became a flashpoint for President Donald Trump’s crackdown on violent crime in America’s cities. Following the assault, Trump ordered National Guard deployments to crime-plagued areas like Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, while courts have blocked his efforts to extend the same law-and-order measures to other liberal-run cities like Seattle.

    During an interview, Coristine said he was defending a woman when he was attacked by the group.

    The charges against Cotton-Powell and Taylor follow outrage over two other teens — a 15-year-old girl and boy — who received only probation for their roles in the same attack. Both Pirro and Trump condemned the slap-on-the-wrist punishment. (RELATED: Police Apprehend Suspects Linked To DOGE Staffer Beating)

    “I think the judge should be ashamed of himself,” said Trump.

    Calling the outcome “terrible,” Trump and Pirro have urged lawmakers and local officials to enact tougher sentencing laws for youth offenders in D.C., arguing that the explosion of teen crime in the capital is the direct result of years of leniency and failed progressive policies.

    Democrats are conducting the most INSANE political stunt in history. Do you want to see the House Freedom Caucus STAND STRONG and VOTE “NO” on this $1.5 SWAMP MEGABILL? [RESPOND HERE]

    Trump Eyes Chicago In Crime Crackdown Expansion

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    2

    President Donald Trump announced Friday that he plans to expand his crime crackdown strategy to Chicago, calling the city “a mess” and signaling more federal involvement in local law enforcement.

    This move comes after the recent federal takeover of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the deployment of federal agents — including National Guard troops — across Washington, D.C., as part of the administration’s ongoing law-and-order agenda.

    “After we do this will go to another location, and we’ll make it safe, also. We’re going to make our country very safe,” Trump said to reporters while seated at the Resolute desk. “We’re going to make our cities very, very safe. Chicago’s a mess.”

    Unsurprisingly, progressive Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t on board. In recent weeks, he has fired back at Trump’s threats, touting a supposed drop in crime under his leadership. Johnson points to homicides being down more than 30% and shootings nearly 40% compared with last year.

    He also warned that bringing in the National Guard would only make matters worse, calling it “destabilizing.” Johnson pointed to the Trump administration’s record, arguing that its $158 million cut to violence prevention funding created upheaval in underserved communities.

    Gov. JB Pritzker — widely seen as a likely 2028 presidential contender — also pushed back, accusing Trump of making personal attacks and defending Illinois’ progressive approach to criminal justice reform.

    Fox News continues:

    During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump threatened to federalize D.C. because of the city’s struggle to control crime. The Aug. 3 attempted carjacking and brutal beating of a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer brought the issue back to the spotlight, sparking national debate. The following week, on Aug. 11, Trump declared a crime emergency in D.C., sparking the federal takeover.

    “The city government’s failure to maintain public order and safety has had a dire impact on the federal government’s ability to operate efficiently to address the nation’s broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence,” Trump’s executive order read.

    On Friday, Trump declared on Truth Social that D.C. was “safe again” and that it would soon “be great again.” He also praised law enforcement personnel for “doing a fantastic job.”

    Under the Posse Comitatus Act and the 10th Amendment, the president can’t deploy federal or National Guard troops into a state without the governor’s approval — unless certain rare conditions are met. Without that consent, the move would almost certainly trigger a constitutional fight.

    READ NEXT: Fed Chair Drops Bombshell — Markets Respond Furiously

    Patriot, you never wavered — not through impeachments, indictments, or the raid on Mar-a-Lago. Now it’s time to show the Radical Left you’re still with Trump. [ADD YOUR NAME — I’LL NEVER ABANDON TRUMP]
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