Plasmic Echo, a code name that could easily be mistaken for a 1970s rock band or a supernatural phenomenon from a movie, has been revealed as the code name for the FBI investigation into the mishandling of classified documents from the Trump White House.
The name was disclosed in unredacted court filings published on Monday in the special counsel's criminal case against former President Donald Trump. A case file marked with the ID '[Redacted] PLASMIC ECHO; Mishandling of Classified or National Defense Information' was included in the documents.
On February 24, 2022, the FBI received information from the National Archives about classified documents found in 15 boxes of materials that Trump had returned earlier that year. Several FBI documents and emails in the court submissions also refer to the investigation as 'Plasmic Echo.'
The Justice Department has chosen not to comment on the matter.
The name 'Plasmic Echo' now joins the ranks of other notable FBI investigations such as 'Crossfire Hurricane' related to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, 'Midyear Exam' concerning Hillary Clinton's emails, and 'Varsity Blues' focusing on the college admissions bribery scandal.
Trump's legal team submitted the case file along with numerous exhibits to support his efforts in obtaining more records from the federal government in the case. Trump is seeking records from various agencies, including the National Archives and President Joe Biden's White House.
A partially redacted version of Trump's request had been on the court's docket for some time, but a less redacted version was made public on Monday. US District Judge Aileen Cannon ordered the unsealing of several previously redacted details while keeping other sensitive information, such as the names of witnesses, redacted.
