Biden retained classified materials, no criminal charges recommended

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 Feb 2024 23:25

US President Joe Biden attempted to put an end to the controversy on Thursday following a Justice Department report stating that he held classified documents before taking office but would not be charged.

President Joe Biden walks to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Washington (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In the investigation into US President Joe Biden's handling of classified materials, Special Counsel Robert Hur concluded that Biden intentionally kept and shared classified information. However, a Justice Department report released on Thursday stated that Hur did not recommend criminal charges against him.

"Our investigation uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen," wrote Hur in the report, adding that there were no grounds for criminal charges in the case.

The results will probably limit Biden's capacity to criticize Donald Trump—Biden's likely rival in the presidential race in November—vehemently in light of the indictment accusing the former president of unlawfully retaining sensitive documents at his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago.

In an accompanying response, the White House expressed full agreement with Hur's decision not to pursue charges.

The report also revealed several instances of Biden experiencing lapses in memory about key points in his life and career.

This is a Banana Republic.

First 3 paragraphs of Robert Hur's report on Joe Biden "willfully retaining" classified documents, including classified military and foreign policy documents and national security sources and methods. pic.twitter.com/Sr91Pmx96K
— CannCon (@CannConActual) February 8, 2024

According to CNN, Biden touted his cooperation with Hur's probe, contrasting it with his predecessor's handling of a similar investigation.

"I just believed that’s what I owed the American people so they could know no charges would be brought and the matter closed," Biden said.

Hur observed in his report that there were differences between the cases involving classified documents for Trump and Biden. The National Archives made unsuccessful attempts to retrieve documents in Trump’s possession, leading to the FBI obtaining a search warrant to search his Florida estate at one stage.

In contrast, Biden’s legal team promptly informed the National Archives about the materials discovered in his possession. Although these documents were found on November 2, merely six days before the midterm elections, it was only on November 7 — when news reports surfaced regarding the discovery — that the president’s attorneys publicly acknowledged it.

"I was pleased to see they reached the conclusion I believed all along they would reach – that there would be no charges brought in this case and the matter is now closed. This was an exhaustive investigation going back more than 40 years, even into the 1970s when I was a young Senator," he said.