Rep. Jamie Raskin says the Department of Justice handed him a "damning" memo about how President Donald Trump handled classified material. The memo was included among documents Raskin calls "cherry-picked" and given to the House Judiciary Committee.
What the memo reportedly shows
- The memo claims some of the documents Trump had were so restricted that only six people in the entire U.S. government could access them.
- It says several of those documents were connected to Trump’s business interests.
- According to the memo, Susie Wiles, who was then CEO of Trump’s super PAC, saw Trump show a classified map to other passengers on his private plane.
- Raskin relayed these points in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying the newly disclosed material raises serious questions.
How the White House responded
The White House rejected the claims and pushed back hard. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson criticized Raskin and tied the memo to what she called previous efforts by the Biden Justice Department and special counsel Jack Smith. Her statement included the line that Democrats like Raskin were "clinging to deranged Jack Smith and his lies in 2026" and insisted the president did nothing wrong.
Legal and political context
The classified documents matter has already had a complicated legal history. The case against Trump was dismissed shortly after his inauguration. Trump continues to deny wrongdoing in connection with the documents.
Why this matters
If the memo’s findings are accurate, they raise two separate concerns: whether highly restricted national security material was treated like personal property, and whether material tied to private business got mixed into presidential or campaign settings. Both questions touch on national security and ethics in public office.
Raskin and others say the memo warrants further scrutiny. The White House calls the allegations politically motivated. For now, the memo has renewed attention on a story that was thought to be legally settled but remains politically charged.
