Timeline of Trump’s dealings with classified and other U.S. Government documents originating the executive office
The following information comes from the indictment of Donald J Trump and Waltine Nauta.
January 20, 2017 to January 21, 2020 – Donald J Trump held the office of President of the United States and had access to document pertaining to the activities of the United State government that we both unclassified as well as classified as levels of secrecy across the full spectrum of classifications.
A significant number of these documents under Trumps direction, were gathered into boxes to be transported to Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach Florida with his departure from the White House.
When Trump ceased to be the President of the United States, at noon on January 21, 2020, he lost his security clearance and his right to access of any classified materials.
January 2021 through August 2022 – Mar-a-Lago Club hosted tens of thousands of members and guests. Mar-a-Lago was not authorized to store classified documents. The club was staffed by more than 150 full, part-time and temporary employees. Trump did not inform his Secret Service detail that he was storing classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
January through March 2021 – documents stored in Mar-a-Lago’s White and Gold Ballroom
March 2021 – Waltine Nauta Trump’s personal aid and others moved some of the boxes from the ballroom to the business center at Mar-a-Lago Club.
April 2021 – Some boxes were moved from the office center to a bathroom and shower ay Mar-a-Lago’s Lake room.
May 2021 – National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) demands Trump turn over any Presidential records he may have in his possession.
June 2021 – NARA warns Trump that failure to turn over the material would cause NARA to notify the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the missing records.
June 24, 2021 – a total of 80 boxes were moved from the Lake room to the Storage Room.
July 2021 and August or September 2021 – Trump shows classified documents in meetings at Bedminster with authors and their staff as well as members of Trump’s PAC who did not hold security clearance.
December 7, 2021 – at least one box was found on its side and its contents, including documents with classified markings, spilled on the floor. No explanation as to why the box had fallen over or who might have accessed it to cause it to be found in that condition.
November 2021 through January 2022 – at Trump’s direction, Nauta and another employee ferries boxes from the storage room to Trump’s office for Trumps review.
January 17, 2022 – Nauta loads 15 boxes into his car from Trump’s residence to his car and then into a commercial truck to be delivered to NARA. 14 document were found to have classified marking by NARA.
February 9, 2022 – NARA informs DOJ of classified document found in the boxes from Trump.
March 30, 2022 – FBI opens criminal investigation.
April 26, 2022 – federal grand jury opens investigation.
May 11, 2022 – federal grand jury issues a subpoena for all documents with any level of classification.
May 22, 2022 – Nauta removes one box from the storage room.
May 23. 2022 – Trump learns that his attorney will arrive on June 2nd to search the boxes in the storage room for classified documents.
May 23 to June 2, 2022 – at Trump’s direction Nauta transported 64 boxes from the storage room to Trump’s residence.
June 2, 2022 – before Trump’s attorney’s arrived to examine the boxes, Nauta moved 64 boxes from the storage room to Trump’s residence and returned 30 boxes to the storage room. Neither Trump nor Nauta informed the attorney if the movement of these boxes.
3:53 – 4:23pm – Trump’s attorney examines boxes in the storage room and transfers 38 documents with classified markings into a Redweld folder and sealed it with clear tape.
That evening Trump’s attorney (attorney 1) contacts FBI and arranges to meet with them June 3 to turn over discovered classified documents. Attorney 1 contacted attorney 3 to come to Mar-a-Lago and act as custodian of the records and sign a document certifying the search for classified documents.
June 3, 2022 – Attorney 1 had attorney 3 sign a document as custodian of the records. Attorney 3 did not participate in the search for the documents in the storage room. The documents and certification of the search was turned over to the FBI.
Early on the 3rd, Natua and others loaded boxes into Trump’s plane to take with Trump to his summer residence.
July 2022 – FBI and grand jury obtained and reviewed surveillance video from Mar-a-Lago showing the movement of the boxes describes above.
August 8, 2022 – FBI executes warrant to search for and removes classified documents from Mar-a-Lago.