McCarthy calls for investigating Biden over classified documents
4 Min Read
US President Joe Biden's lawyers discovered a second batch of classified documents from his vice presidency at a new location.
-
President Joe Biden visits Mexico City on January 9. (Getty Images)
Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called for a Congressional investigation of Biden after classified documents were found at his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
"Congress has to investigate this," McCarthy said, pointing to the Justice Department's investigation of former president Donald Trump for keeping more than 100 classified documents at his home in Palm Beach, Florida.
Moreover, Republican lawmakers in Congress will look into President Joe Biden's mishandling of classified government records while serving as vice president because it is a serious felony, Republican Congressman Paul Gosar said on Thursday.
A day after the president was briefed about the first set of records discovered in his private office in Washington, Biden's lawyers discovered a second batch of classified documents from his vice presidency at a new location.
"Joe Biden stole classified documents and secretly hid them in his office while he was Vice President yet suddenly democrats could care less. Negligently retaining classified documents is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Republicans in congress will investigate and see to it that Biden answers for his crimes," Gosar said in a statement.
In the same context, the White House announced Thursday that "a small number" of classified documents dating from the Obama-Biden administration had been discovered at Joe Biden's private residence in Wilmington, Delaware.
Other documents were discovered at a Washington think tank where Biden used to work, embarrassing the White House as authorities investigate an even larger scandal involving ex-President Donald Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Biden says 'cooperating fully' with classified documents review
In the meantime, Biden stated on Thursday that he is "fully cooperating" with a Justice Department investigation after classified documents were discovered at his private residence in Wilmington, Delaware.
Lawyers "discovered a small number of documents with classified markings in storage areas and file cabinets in my home and my personal library," Biden said, adding, "I take classified documents and classified material seriously."
Yesterday, Biden said that he was "surprised" to learn that classified documents were taken to his personal office after he left the vice presidency and that he has no idea what is in the records. Meanwhile, Democratic and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill demanded more information about the discovery that prompted a Justice Department investigation.
“I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there are any government records that were taken there to that office,” Biden said during a news conference in Mexico City on Tuesday evening.
“But I don’t know what’s in the documents. My lawyers have not suggested I ask what documents they were. I’ve turned over the boxes — they’ve turned over the boxes to the Archives. And we’re cooperating fully — cooperating fully with the review, which I hope will be finished soon, and there will be more detail at that time,” he added.
This came after the White House confirmed that the US Justice Department is reviewing a batch of potentially classified documents found in the office space of Biden's former institute in Washington.
Richard Sauber, special counsel to Biden, indicated that "a small number of documents with classified markings" were discovered when the President's personal attorneys were emptying the offices of the Penn Biden Center, where Biden kept an office after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his presidential campaign in 2019.
