FBI investigation into Donald Trump's handling of government documents facts for kids
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Plasmic Echo was the special name for an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). It looked into how former President Donald Trump handled classified government documents. These are secret papers that protect national security. The investigation started in 2022. It checked for possible violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice, which means trying to block an investigation.
In November 2022, a special counsel investigation began. A special counsel is a lawyer appointed to investigate a specific case. Jack Smith was chosen by United States Attorney General Merrick Garland to lead this new investigation.
On June 8, 2023, Trump faced charges related to these documents in Miami. This was the first time a former U.S. president had faced federal charges. Trump appeared in court on June 13, 2023, and said he was not guilty of the charges. On July 15, 2024, a judge ended the case, saying the special prosecutor's appointment was not legal.
Contents
Trump's Handling of Official Papers
During his time as president, Trump's way of handling secret information worried U.S. intelligence officials. They were also concerned about him meeting guests at his home, Mar-a-Lago. They thought this could be a risk for foreign spies trying to get information.
In 2019, Trump showed a reporter a photo of himself with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He also showed the reporter letters from Kim that were secret government documents. Trump later said he thought some presidential papers, like these letters, were his own property.
Destroying Presidential Records
Trump often shredded papers, both important and everyday ones. He did this at the White House, Mar-a-Lago, and on Air Force One. His staff often had to collect the torn pieces and tape them back together.
Some documents were not recovered. White House staff sometimes used "burn bags" to destroy papers. There were also reports that Trump flushed documents down the toilet.
Leaving Office
Trump's time as president ended on January 20, 2021. His departure from the White House was very busy and rushed. Many staff members had left, leaving fewer people to do a lot of work.
Before leaving, Trump named several officials to handle future requests for his presidential records. Later, he added Kash Patel and John Solomon as his representatives for these records.
Two years later, Trump said on TV that he had taken classified documents from the White House. He claimed he had "every right" to take them and that they became "declassified" when he took them. This claim is not true.
After the Presidency
A former president does not have a formal security clearance for secret information. According to former chief of staff John F. Kelly, Trump should have received a briefing. This briefing would have explained that "Once you're not the president anymore, all the rules apply to you" regarding classified materials.
President Joe Biden later stopped Trump from getting the intelligence briefings usually given to former presidents. Biden said this was because of Trump's "erratic behavior." This was the first time a former president was denied access to these briefings.
Finding the Missing Documents
After Trump lost the 2020 United States presidential election, talks began about moving his administration's documents. The Presidential Records Act says all presidential documents must go to the Archivist of the United States when a president's term ends.
In May 2021, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) realized some documents were missing. These included letters from Kim Jong-un and a letter from former President Barack Obama. NARA contacted Trump's team about the missing papers.
Trump's lawyers told NARA in December that they had found 12 boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago.
NARA Gets Documents Back
In January 2022, NARA worked to get back 15 boxes of documents taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago. They successfully got the documents back from Trump's lawyers. These boxes contained classified information.
After finding the secret documents, NARA told the Justice Department. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform also started an investigation. The Justice Department then told NARA not to share more details, which suggested the FBI was starting its own investigation.
Of the documents NARA got back, 184 had classification markings. These included 25 marked "top secret," 92 "secret," and 67 "confidential." Some were so sensitive they were part of "special access programs" (SAP). This means very few people are allowed to see them.
The Investigation Begins
Justice Department Asks for Documents
In May 2022, the Justice Department formally asked NARA for the documents. They also interviewed White House officials who were there when Trump left office. This showed that a grand jury investigation was likely starting. The Justice Department also asked Trump to return all documents with secret markings.
On June 3, Justice Department officials and FBI agents went to Mar-a-Lago. They met with Trump's legal team to get the documents. Trump's lawyers said they had searched carefully and given back all the requested documents. They also said all documents were in one storage room in the basement.
On June 8, the Justice Department asked Trump's lawyers to put a stronger lock on the basement room. They also asked that all documents stay there.
Mar-a-Lago Security Video
On June 22, the Justice Department asked for Mar-a-Lago's security video. Reports said the video showed people moving boxes out of the basement storage room.
The FBI suspected violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice. This was based on information from many witnesses. This information helped them get a search warrant.
FBI Searches Mar-a-Lago
The Justice Department found evidence that more secret documents were still at Mar-a-Lago. They also believed that documents had been hidden or moved. So, they asked a judge for permission to search Mar-a-Lago.
On August 8, 2022, the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago. They took thousands of government documents. Some had very high classification markings, like "top secret/sensitive compartmented information" (TS/SCI). These are meant to be read only in special secure government rooms.
After three interactions with Trump in 2022, including the August search, the government got back about 13,000 documents. Some secret documents were found in boxes with personal items like magazines and clothes. Dozens of empty folders with classified markings were also found.
Special Master
Trump's legal team asked for a "special master." This is a neutral person who would review the seized documents. Their job would be to find any documents that should not have been taken or were protected. A federal judge agreed and appointed Raymond Dearie as the special master.
On September 21, 2022, a higher court said the Justice Department could continue using the classified documents. They also said the special master did not need to review the secret documents.
The special master asked Trump's team to confirm if the FBI's list of seized items was correct. Trump's team said they could not meet the deadline.
On December 1, a higher court ended the special master's role. They said that allowing a special master in this case would let anyone block government investigations. Trump did not appeal this decision. On December 8, 2022, the Justice Department got full access to the documents again.
On December 12, 2022, the judge dismissed Trump's lawsuit about Mar-a-Lago. This meant Trump could not get access to the full details of the search warrant.
More Missing Documents
Even after the Mar-a-Lago search, the Justice Department believed more government documents might still be missing. Empty folders with secret markings were found, raising questions. In September 2022, the Justice Department told Trump's lawyers they thought he still had documents. NARA also told Congress that Trump had not returned all presidential records.
In December 2022, Trump's lawyers hired a team to search for any remaining secret materials. They found two documents with secret markings in a storage unit in Florida. These were given to the FBI. Other locations were searched, but no more secret documents were found.
Special Counsel Investigation
On November 18, Merrick Garland, the Attorney General, named Jack Smith as an independent special counsel. Smith was to lead the investigation into the classified documents. He also reviewed Trump's role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
Indictment
On June 8, 2023, Trump faced 37 charges related to the documents. This was the first time a former U.S. president faced federal charges. On June 13, 2023, Trump was processed and appeared in court. He said he was not guilty of all charges. As part of his release, he could not discuss the case with witnesses or his aide, Walt Nauta. On July 15, 2024, Judge Aileen Cannon ended the entire case. She said the special prosecutor Jack Smith's appointment was not legal.
See also
- Joe Biden classified documents incident
- Mike Pence classified documents incident
Images for kids
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered classified documents at Trump's residence, the Mar-a-Lago.
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Document boxes in Mar-a-Lago bathroom
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In response to a lawsuit by Donald Trump, the National Security Division and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida submitted a filing containing this image.
