This timeline provides an overview of the events leading to charges against former U.S. President Donald Trump about handling government records, including classified materials, stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate after leaving the White House in January 2021.
February 9, 2022: The National Archives and Records Administration requests the U.S. Justice Department to investigate Trump’s handling of government records, as he returned boxes of documents to Mar-a-Lago, some of which contained classified information.
August 8, 2022: Trump acknowledges that FBI agents conducted a search at Mar-a-Lago, including breaking into a safe, as part of an investigation into the retention of records.
August 12, 2022: The court-approved warrant for the search of Trump’s property is released, revealing that 11 sets of classified documents were confiscated. The warrant cites possible violations of the Espionage Act, which criminalizes the release of information that could harm national security.
August 22, 2022: Trump files a lawsuit to prevent the Justice Department from reviewing the seized materials until a special master is appointed to ensure privileged documents are not accessed improperly.
August 26, 2022: The Justice Department releases a heavily redacted affidavit accompanying the search warrant, stating that it believed Trump illegally possessed documents, including those involving intelligence-gathering and clandestine human sources. The affidavit also notes the involvement of civilian witnesses and potential evidence of obstruction.
September 6, 2022: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon grants Trump’s request for a special master over DOJ objections, temporarily halting the investigation. Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie is later appointed to oversee the third-party review.
September 15, 2022: The Justice Department seeks access to the classified materials seized during the search. Judge Cannon initially denies the request, but the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later allows the DOJ to review the documents.
November 16, 2022: Trump announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
November 20, 2022: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith to oversee criminal matters related to Trump, including the investigation into the classified documents.
December 1, 2022: A federal appeals court overturns Judge Cannon’s appointment of a special master, granting the Justice Department access to all materials seized during the search.
December 7, 2022: During a subsequent search of Trump’s properties, at least two classified records are reportedly discovered.
December 2022: Trump’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, testifies before a federal grand jury in Washington, detailing efforts to search Trump properties for any remaining government documents.
March 24, 2023: Trump’s lawyer, Evan Corcoran, appears before a federal grand jury in Washington after a judge determines that Smith’s team presented sufficient evidence suggesting Trump may have deceived his attorneys in furtherance of a crime.
May 17, 2023: Parlatore confirms his departure from Trump’s legal team, alleging disagreements with others over the handling of the probe. He specifically mentions Trump aide Boris Epshteyn impeding proper defense. A spokesperson for Trump denies the claims.
June 8, 2023: Trump announces on social media that the Biden administration has informed his attorneys of his indictment, and he has been summoned to appear at the federal courthouse in Miami on June 13.
June 9, 2023: U.S. prosecutors unseal an indictment against Trump, charging him with 37 counts. The indictment alleges that he endangered sensitive security secrets through his mishandling of unclassified documents. Former aide Walt Nauta is also implicated in the case, facing charges alongside Trump.
