During the FBI raid earlier in August, security services were prevented from searching a storage box and "attempts were likely made to obstruct the government's investigation" during the crackdown.
This is now stated in a new letter from the Ministry of Justice.
The letter presents the strongest evidence to date that Trump has deliberately tried to hide classified material.
Images show classified documents
On August 8, the FBI raided the former president's residence where they found more than 100 classified documents.
A total of 320 classified documents have been seized, of which over a hundred of these were seized in the raid.
Attached to the new letter is a photo from inside Mar-a-Lago where some of the classified documents are scattered on the ex-president's floor.
Incorrect and incomplete narrative
Now the Justice Department says Trump and his administration have tried to assert a "false and incomplete narrative" as their defense.
Trump himself has requested that the Supreme Court appoint a so-called "special master" in the investigation.
A special master is a third-party attorney appointed by the court to oversee particular parts of a court case.
If such a person were to be appointed to the investigation, this would have the opportunity to take part in the evidence collected by the Ministry of Justice and filter out parts of the seized material.
Withheld material from the FBI
The latest revelation is believed to stand in the way of Trump's ability to access a special master, as the letter shows how Trump has failed to return dozens of classified documents - even after his lawyer announced that all materials had been returned.
In the report, the prosecutor writes that "the government presented evidence that documents from the government were likely hidden or removed from storage" as an attempt to hinder the government's investigation.
"The letter includes evidence suggesting that boxes previously in the room were not returned prior to the attorney's review," the prosecutor writes.
Javascript is disabled
Javascript must be enabled to play video
Read more about browser support
When Donald Trump left the presidency in January 2021, he took documents with him to his residence in Florida.
Photo: Reuters