Trump Took Classified Docs After First Presidency to ‘Advance His Business Interests,’ Democrats Allege After Seeing New Evidence

Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) disclosed a previously shielded Department of Justice (DOJ) memo Wednesday, alleging that President Donald Trump retained a document so restricted that only six high-ranking government officials were authorized to view it.

The letter, addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, cites a January 2023 memo from former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation. The document suggests Trump’s mishandling of classified material was more extensive and sensitive than previously understood.

According to Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, the DOJ memo contains “damning evidence” gathered during Smith’s multi-year probe. The most striking allegations include:

• Restricted Access: Trump allegedly possessed a document with a classification level so high that access was limited to the President and five other top-tier officials.
• In-Flight Disclosures: Prosecutors found evidence that Trump showed a classified map to passengers on his private plane in June 2022, including current White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, during a flight to his Bedminster, N.J., golf club.
• Business Connections: The FBI determined that classified materials were “commingled” with Trump’s personal business records, suggesting the documents may have been “pertinent to his business interests.”

“This glimpse into the trove of evidence behind the coverup reveals a President of the United States who may have sold out our national security to enrich himself,” Raskin wrote in the letter dated March 24.

The memo surfaced as House Republicans lead a probe into the conduct of Jack Smith, who charged Trump with violating the Espionage Act in 2023. While the DOJ recently released the memo to Congress, it has not yet been made public in its entirety.

Federal prosecutors noted in the memo that the retention of these materials represented an “aggravated potential harm to national security,” specifically highlighting the sensitivity of documents typically reserved for those with the highest levels of national security authority.

The Justice Department and the White House have vehemently denied the allegations, characterizing Raskin’s letter as a partisan attack.

In a statement on X, the DOJ labeled the claims “baseless” and “salacious,” asserting that Smith’s team was “desperate to prosecute” a political opponent. The department further accused Raskin of executing a “cheap political stunt.”

“It’s pathetic that Democrats with zero credibility like Jamie Raskin are still clinging to deranged Jack Smith and his lies in 2026,” said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson. “President Trump did nothing wrong.”

The disclosure adds fresh volatility to the ongoing debate over executive privilege and the handling of state secrets as the 2026 political calendar intensifies.