The investigation into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents could be nearing its end. The White House said late Monday that the president had been interviewed as part of the ongoing independent investigation that is being led by special counsel Robert Hur.
Biden was voluntarily interviewed over the course of two days.
Hur has been examining the improper retention of classified documents from Biden’s time as a United States senator and as Vice President that were found at his private office in Washington, D.C., as well as at his Delaware home.
“The voluntary interview was conducted at the White House over two days, Sunday and Monday, and concluded Monday,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement.
“As we have said from the beginning, the President and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation,” Sams added while referring further questions to the Department of Justice.
Beginning of the End for Joe Biden?
Though the investigation may be coming to an end, the writing of any final report is not expected to be imminent. The matter could be resolved by the end of this calendar year – coming a year after the first documents had been discovered at the D.C. offices. Reports first emerged this past January that the classified documents had been found at the Penn Biden Center offices used by Biden after his vice presidency.
Biden’s personal attorney later informed investigators that additional classified records were identified in the garage of Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, home – a development that marked a tipping point in the Justice Department’s decision to appoint a special counsel to investigate further, sources told ABC News in January. In all, about 25 documents marked classified were discovered in follow-up searches.
However, Biden – who famously criticized former President Donald Trump for his own mishandling of classified documents – has sought to downplay his legal exposure. He did not reveal that the documents were first discovered before last November’s midterm elections.
Hur, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the investigation, had pledged to conduct a “fair, impartial, and dispassionate” investigation.
Quite the Paper Trails
The investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents unfolded as his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, was also the subject of a probe related to classified documents he retained after leaving the White House. Trump now faces charges that he mishandled documents, including allegations that he told a property manager at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to delete security video.
Trump had also reportedly bragged about having the secret material and pushed his attorneys to mislead the FBI about the information he had stored in his home.
Former Vice President Mike Pence was also the subject of an investigation into his handling of classified documents found at his home in Indiana. That inquiry was completed in June, and no charges were filed. Pence’s legal team had turned the papers to the government when they were uncovered.
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
