In the historic federal indictment against Donald Trump, which was unsealed on Friday, prosecutors detailed allegations of how boxes full of classified documents were moved around his Mar-a-Lago residence after he left the presidency.
At various times between January 2021 and last August when the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago, the boxes were stored in the ballroom, a bathroom, an office space, Trump’s bedroom and a storage room, prosecutors say.
The full, 37-count indictment paints a bleak picture of Trump’s handling of sensitive information and accuses him of willfully resisting Justice Department demands to return documents he took from the White House.
Trump was charged along with Walt Nauta, an aide and close aide who prosecutors say transported boxes of classified information through Mar-a-Lago and later lied to investigators about the movement.
The indictment notes that during the 19 months that the boxes were moved, stacked, spilled and mixed, tens of thousands of guests attended more than 150 events at the Mar-a-Lago club, including weddings, fundraisers and parties.
Prosecutors detailed allegations of how boxes full of classified documents were moved around Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence after he left the presidency. At various times, the boxes were kept in the club’s ballroom, a storage room, the Pine Room – an entry room in Trump’s residence, the business center and the Lake Room bathroom
Prosecutors detailed allegations of how boxes full of classified documents were wheeled through his Mar-a-Lago residence after Trump left the presidency
The comprehensive 37-count indictment paints a bleak picture of Trump’s handling of sensitive information
Trump has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and is scheduled to appear Tuesday for the first time in federal court in Miami, where the case was filed.
According to prosecutors, here is the timing of the Mar-a-Lago boxes:
January 20, 2021
Trump’s term as president ended at noon.
Upon leaving office, Trump ordered numerous boxes shipped from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, his personal residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
Prosecutors say many of those boxes contained classified documents he was not authorized to possess after leaving office.
They also note that Mar-a-Lago is not only Trump’s residence, but also an “active social club” that is frequented by thousands of members, staff and guests.
“The Mar-a-Lago Club was not an authorized place for the storage, possession, review, display or discussion of classified information,” the indictment said.
“Nevertheless, Trump stored his boxes of classified documents in various locations at the Mar-a-Lago Club – including a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom and a storage room,” it said.
January 20 to March 15, 2021
“A few” of Trump’s boxes were kept at the White and Gold Ballroom in Mar-a-Lago, where a photographic evidence shows them stacked on the ballroom stage.
The club’s website describes the “elegant” White & Gold Ballroom as ideal for “smaller soirées”.
From January 20 to March 15, 2021, some of Trump’s boxes were stored at the White and Gold Ballroom in Mar-a-Lago, where this photographic evidence shows them stacked on the ballroom stage
Trump was charged along with Walt Nauta (above), an aide and close adviser who prosecutors say transported boxes of classified information through Mar-a-Lago
March 2021
For reasons not specified in the indictment, Nauta and other associates moved Trump’s boxes from the ballroom to the business center at the Mar-a-Lago Club.
April 5, 2021
In a text message, a Trump employee asked another employee about moving boxes from the business center to the warehouse so employees could use the business center as an office.
The second employee responded with concern, writing: “Whoa!! Okay, so Potus specifically asked Walt to put those boxes in the business center because they’re his “papers.”
In another text exchange, staff agreed to move some of the boxes to “a small room in the shower where his other stuff is” next to the club’s Lake Room.
Some of the boxes were then moved from the business center to a bathroom and shower in Mar-a-Lago’s Lake Room.
In April 2021, boxes were moved to a bathroom and shower in Mar-a-Lago’s lake room
May 2021
Trump ordered a storage room on the ground floor of the Mar-a-Lago club to be cleared to store the boxes
The storage room has multiple entrances, including one via a hallway that led through an often unlocked door onto the Mar-a-Lago Club’s pool deck.
The storage room was near the liquor supply closet, linen closet, locker and various other rooms.
At this point, some boxes are also brought to Trump’s Bedminster Club in New Jersey, where he usually spends his summers.
Prosecutors say Trump issued classified documents and discussed them with visitors at the Bedminster Club twice, on July 21, 2021 and again in August or September.
Also in May 2021, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) began requiring Trump to turn over presidential records he kept after his presidency.
The Presidential Records Act requires all records made by Presidents and Vice Presidents to be turned over to NARA immediately upon the completion of their term of office.
June 24, 2021
Trump’s boxes in the Lake Room bathroom are moved to the storage room.
More than 80 boxes were in the storage room after the move.
On June 24, 2021, Trump’s boxes in the Lake Room bathroom will be moved to this storage room on the first floor of the Mar-a-Lago Club
The storage room (above) was near the liquor supply closet, linen closet, locker and various other rooms
November 12, 2021
A Trump associate provided Trump with a photo of the Mar-a-Lago storage room so he could see how many of his boxes were stacked against the wall.
November 25, 2021
A Trump employee texted Nauta asking about Trump’s work checking his boxes in Pine Hall, a room in his private residence in Mar-a-Lago.
“Did he mention crates to you? I have supplied some but I think he may need more. Could you ask if he wants more at Pine Hall? The worker texted.
Nauta replied in three short messages:
“Nothing on crates yet.”
He’s got one he’s working on at Pine Hall
Broke 2 boxes yesterday.’
November 29, 2021 – January 15, 2022
Nauta and other Trump associates are involved in multiple text conversations about the “boxes.”
The talks will include Trump’s review of the contents and how many of the boxes should be handed over to the national archives.
On November 21, 2021, a Trump associate provided Trump with this photo of the Mar-a-Lago storage room so he could see how many of his boxes were stacked against the wall.
December 7, 2021
Nauta found spilled boxes in the storage room, including documents with classification marks.
“I opened the door and found this…” Nauta wrote in a text message to another Trump aide, attaching photos of the spilled boxes.
“Oh no, oh no,” the other employee replied, adding, “I’m sorry Potus had my phone.”
One document was headlined SECRET//REL TO USA, FVEY, suggesting the document was only allowed to be released to the Five Eyes intelligence community in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
On December 7, 2021, Nauta found these spilled boxes in the storage room and texted this photo of the incident to a colleague. Visible classified information was removed by the DOJ prior to the release of this photo
January 17, 2022
A Trump employee and Nauta picked up 15 boxes from Trump’s home and took them to a truck for delivery to NARA.
Trump provided only 15 boxes, 14 of which contained a total of 197 classified documents.
Among them were 98 documents marked “Secret”, 30 marked “Top Secret” and the rest marked “Confidential”.
NARA contacted the Justice Department on February 9 to report the discovery of the classified documents.
On March 30, the FBI opened a criminal investigation into the unlawful storage of classified documents at the Mar-a-Lago Club.
A federal grand jury investigation began the following month and issued a subpoena on May 11.
On March 30, 2022, the FBI opened a criminal investigation into the unlawful storage of classified documents at the Mar-a-Lago Club. A federal grand jury issued a subpoena on May 11
May 22, 2022
Nauta entered the storage room and left about 34 minutes later with one of Trump’s boxes.
The following day, Trump met with his attorneys to discuss the grand jury subpoena.
According to the notes of one of the lawyers, Trump made the following remarks, among others:
“I don’t want anyone searching my boxes, I don’t want anyone searching my boxes, I really don’t want you to search my boxes.”
“What happens if we just don’t respond or play along with them?”
“Wouldn’t it be better if we just told them we don’t have anything here?”
According to prosecutors, between the May 23 meeting with attorneys and June 2, Nauta transported 64 boxes from the storage room to Trump’s apartment.
During the same period, Nauta transported around 30 boxes from the house to the storage room.
On June 2, one of Trump’s lawyers arrived in Mar-a-Lago and searched the boxes in the storage room for classified material.
June 3, 2022
After completing his review of the storage boxes, Trump’s attorney turned over 38 other documents with non-disclosure notices to the FBI.
According to the indictment, however, many of the boxes Nauta removed from the storage room prior to the attorney’s search were not searched at all for documents traceable to the May 11 subpoena.
When Trump’s attorney turned the classified documents found over to the FBI, Nauta and other Trump associates loaded some of the boxes onto a plane for Trump’s trip north to Bedminster in the summer.
August 8, 2022
Based on a court-approved search warrant, an FBI raid also seized 102 other documents with classified markings from Trump’s office and a storage room at the Mar-a-Lago Club.
The FBI seized 27 documents from Trump’s office, including six classified as top secret, 18 classified and three classified as confidential.
From the storage room, the FBI seized an additional 75 documents, including 11 marked Top Secret, 36 marked Secret, and 28 marked Confidential.