Last November, President Joe Biden’s legal team came across classified documents while moving his belongings from the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. These documents had been hidden in a securely locked storage area and are reported to relate to his time as both vice president and senator. Further searches at the president’s different residences revealed more classified materials. President Biden has subsequently held conversations with a special counsel concerning these documents.
Special Counsel Robert Hur is conducting an investigation into the president’s management of classified materials. Attorney General Merrick Garland designated Hur for this role in response to requests from Republican legislators.
Ian Sams, a representative from the White House counsel’s office, informed the media that President Biden willingly participated in an interview with Special Counsel Hur’s team. This interview occurred at the White House across two days, specifically on October 8 and 9. Reports suggest that this questioning may signal the conclusion of the investigation.
Sams stated that the president is collaborating with the investigation and has shared pertinent updates with the public. The spokesperson further emphasized their commitment to transparency while also ensuring the investigation’s integrity remains intact. Sams directed any additional inquiries to the Department of Justice. This development marked the first significant update the American public had received in several months.
The initial batch of documents was discovered on November 2 at the Penn Biden Center. Reports indicate that the president utilized this office space from mid-2017 until his entry into the presidential race. The exact quantity of documents found remains uncertain, but they have been characterized as a limited number. Additional materials were also located at President Biden’s residence in Delaware. As soon as these classified documents were uncovered, they were promptly forwarded to the National Archives.
Biden is not the initial president to participate in an interview with the Department of Justice. In the past, former President Donald Trump declined an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller during the Trump-Russia investigation. He exercised his constitutional right to abstain from conversing with the investigators.
Former President George W. Bush engaged in a conversation with investigators lasting 70 minutes as part of an inquiry into the disclosure that exposed CIA Agent Valerie Plame’s identity. Allegedly, her name was revealed to the media in retaliation against her husband, journalist Joseph Wilson.
In a separate instance, Former President Bill Clinton underwent lengthy questioning by Special Counsel Kenneth Starr. This inquiry pertained to the White Water scandal and the revelation of the Monica Lewinsky affair.
