President Donald Trump reportedly kept governmental documents relevant to his business interests after leaving office, as detailed in a recent internal memo from former special counsel Jack Smith's office. This memo, which POLITICO had the opportunity to view, was sent to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees earlier this month as part of the ongoing Republican-led investigations into Trump’s handling of classified documents and his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.

The memo, dated January 13, 2023, indicates that the FBI found classified documents mixed with papers created post-presidency, some of which directly pertain to Trump's business ventures. "Process is very much ongoing but the FBI has already since found both — that classified documents were commingled with documents created after Trump left office and that there are classified documents that would be pertinent to certain business interests," the memo stated.

Currently, the second volume of Smith's report on the investigation, which focuses on this classified documents case, remains under a court-ordered seal. Democrats are urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release this volume, hoping it might contain information detrimental to Trump. This latest discovery could intensify pressure on the administration to disclose the full report.

The memo could also shape upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee inquiries, with plans to invite Smith to testify about his Trump investigations in a public hearing soon.

Amidst these developments, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, accused Trump of potentially compromising national security for personal gain. In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Raskin suggested that the memo indicates Trump "may have sold out our national security to enrich himself."

Raskin also criticized the DOJ for allegedly breaching a judicial order by sharing certain materials, including grand jury documents, with Congress. However, a DOJ spokesperson refuted these claims, labeling Raskin's actions as a "political stunt" and defending the department's transparency.

In response to these allegations, both a White House spokesperson and House Judiciary Republicans dismissed the claims as exaggerated, while House Judiciary Democrats highlighted the irony in the Trump administration's self-description as "the most transparent in history."

The memo further revealed that Trump retained documents so sensitive that access was restricted to a handful of government officials, suggesting motive for retaining them. "These new disclosures suggest that Donald Trump stole documents so sensitive that only six people in the entire U.S. government had access to them," Raskin stated in his letter, urging the DOJ to end what he called a "cover-up."

As this political drama unfolds, the implications of the memo’s findings continue to stir significant controversy and debate across the political spectrum.