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Raskin says he has "damning" memo on Trump classified docs case

Andrew Solender

President Donald Trump sits at a dark desk in an office, wearing a navy suit and yellow tie, looking to the right. Behind him are American and Navy flags, plus framed photos; an open book with a pen rests nearby. — President Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office on March 16. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has obtained what he says is a "damning" memo containing previously unknown allegations about President Trump's handling of classified documents when he was out of office.

Why it matters: The House Judiciary Committee ranking member is using the disclosures to place renewed scrutiny on the classified documents case, which was dropped after Trump returned to office last year.

Among the allegations are that Trump possessed documents that only six people in the U.S. government had access to, showed off a classified map to passengers on his private plane and had files relevant to his business interests.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the classified documents case.

What they're saying: Raskin said the disclosure was part of a tranche of "cherry-picked" documents handed over to the Judiciary Committee as part of Republican lawmakers' efforts to undermine the credibility of the classified documents investigation and Special Counsel Jack Smith.

"Apparently blinded by the frenzied search to find any scrap of evidence that could be twisted and distorted ... you have, quite amazingly, missed the fact that some of the documents you provided include damning evidence about your boss's conduct," he wrote to Bondi.
Raskin cited an FBI memorandum from Jan. 13, 2023, a copy of which was reviewed by Axios, alleging that some of the classified documents Trump retained "would be pertinent to certain business interests."

The other side: "It's pathetic that Democrats with zero credibility like Jamie Raskin are still clinging to deranged Jack Smith and his lies in 2026," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Axios.

"President Trump did nothing wrong, which is why he easily defeated the Biden DOJ's unprecedented lawfare campaign against him and then won nearly 80 million votes in a landslide election victory."
The Justice Department said in a post on X: "Jack Smith's team was desperate to prosecute Biden's top political opponent, so it is no surprise that his files contain salacious and untrue claims about President Trump."

Between the lines: Raskin argued that the 2023 memo sheds new light on the question of why Trump kept classified documents after leaving office.

DOJ prosecutors assessed that the documents relevant to Trump's business interests established "a motive for retaining them."
"We must have those documents," they continued, alleging that the files represented "an aggravated potential harm to national security" and were "the type of documents that only presidents and officials with the most sensitive authority have."
"Trump had many documents in his possession—so many and in so many different places that it is hard to fathom that he was not aware," the prosecutors also wrote.

Zoom in: Prosecutors "identified a classified map that we believe Trump may have shown to individuals on board" his private plane on a June 2022 flight to his New Jersey golf club, it's alleged.

They allegedly found this incident was witnessed by Susie Wiles, then the CEO of Trump's super PAC who now serves as White House chief of staff.
Raskin wrote that DOJ provided Judiciary with a map of the aircraft but that the names of all the passengers were redacted.

What's next: Raskin sent Bondi a list of eight requests for further information, including details about what was on the documents referenced in the memo and who was able to see them.

"In addition, DOJ must cease cherry-picking investigative materials and produce all remaining investigative files, including memoranda, emails, and analyses prepared by the Special Counsel's Office by 5:00 p.m. on April 14, 2026," he wrote.
Bondi, who has been highly combative with Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, particularly Raskin, is unlikely to comply with his demands.

Go deeper: Trump is returned classified documents from the dismissed federal case against him

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.