President Joe Biden will face no charges over his and his staff’s handling of classified documents after a special counsel appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland concludes his 13-month investigation.
Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report is expected to clear President Biden of any possible criminal charges, but will be “critical” of the President “and his aides for mishandling classified documents in Biden’s private home and former office,” The Washington Post reports. “Biden aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation, have said they believe the documents unintentionally ended up at Biden’s home and office because of sloppy staff work.”
The number of classified documents was reportedly “fewer than 20 or so.”
“In recent weeks, the report has been reviewed by intelligence officials to navigate how much to reveal about the classified materials found in 2022 at Biden’s Wilmington, Del. home and his former office, given that the report must be sent to Congress and released to the public. The documents in question dated to Biden’s time as vice president during the Obama administration.”
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Classified documents were first found in Biden’s office at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement of the University of Pennsylvania, in Washington, D.C., by his attorneys. The National Archives was immediately contacted and arranged for the documents to be returned. Later, classified documents were also found at Biden’s Delaware home, and were returned as well. Biden agreed to an FBI search of his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, last year in February. No documents were found.
Former Vice President Mike Pence had about a dozen classified or sensitive documents in his home. They were returned and no charges were filed.
While both former vice presidents’ handling of classified materials is or is expected to be deemed non-criminal, a grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump on 40 federal criminal felony counts over his allegedly unlawful removal, retention, and refusal to return dozens of classified documents. 32 of the 40 charges fall under the Espionage Act. While the case rests on just 32 classified documents, Trump reportedly took hundreds of classified, top secret, and sensitive documents, including nuclear and military secrets.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, also appointed by Attorney General Garland, is prosecuting the Trump case.
Also unlike Trump, President Biden agreed to be interviewed by the Special Counsel, and sat over a two-day period with Robert Hur back in October.