BREAKING NEWS: Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints Special Counsel to review Biden’s classified documents
- Garland announced a special counsel to investigate
- He named Robert K. Hur
- Move came after lawyers discovered more classified files in Biden’s home
- Republicans had demanded a special counsel look into matter
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appointed a special counsel to investigate classified documents discovered in the D.C. think tank and Wilmington home of Joe Biden.
He named Robert K. Hur, who was appointed to conduct the original investigation into the classified files, to fill the role.
‘This appointment underscores for the public the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters, and to making decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law,’ Garland said.
Democrats will hope the move quells a flood of criticism from Republicans, who had demanded a special counsel.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate classified documents in Biden’s possession
Robert K Hur, 50, served as the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland from 2018 to 2021
Garland, last year, appointed Jack Smith as special counsel to investigate classified documents in the possession of former President Donald Trump.
When it was revealed Biden also had classified documents – dating back to when he was vice president – Republicans demanded a similar move by the attorney general.
Garland said Hur is authorized ‘to investigate whether any person or entity violated the law in connection’ with the classified documents.
He stressed Hur’s independence.
‘A special counsel will not be subjected to the day to day supervision of any official of the department. But he must comply with the regulations, procedures, and policies of the department,’ he said.
Hur, 50, served as the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland from 2018 to 2021. He previously served as principal associate deputy attorney general.
Trump appointed Hur to the top law enforcement job in Maryland.
‘I am confident that Mr. Hur will carry out his responsibility in an even handed an urgent matter, and in accordance with the highest traditions of this department,’ Garland said during the five minute announcement at the Justice Department.
He did not answer questions as he left the room.
Trump was among the many Republicans demanding a special counsel – and he demanded Garland end the probe into his handling of classified material.
‘Merrick Garland has to immediately end Special Counsel investigation into anything related to me because I did everything right, and appoint a Special Counsel to investigate Joe Biden who hates Biden as much as Jack Smith hates me,’ he said on Truth Social on Thursday.
Garland’s announcement came after the White House revealed a second batch of classified documents was discovered in President Biden’s ‘personal library’ at his home in Wilmington, Delaware and other documents in his garage.
It was the latest bombshell comes just days after reports that sensitive documents were also found in his former office in Washington, D.C.
Richard Sauber, Special Counsel to the President, said the files were immediately handed over to the National Archives and the Department of Justice was notified.
Biden told reporters at the White House that he was ‘cooperating fully and completely’ with a Justice Department investigation as to how and why classified information and government records were improperly stored.
Peter Doocy of Fox News asked the president how he could keep ‘classified materials [in his garage] next to your Corvette. What were you thinking?’ – a reference to his classic 1967 Stingray which his son, Hunter, had rebuilt for him as a Christmas present.
‘By the way, my Corvette’s in locked garage, okay? It’s not like it’s sitting out in the street,’ Biden shot back. He confirmed the documents were kept in a locked garage, saying, ‘Yes – as well as my Corvette.’
A second batch of classified documents were found in a garage ‘storage space’ in President Biden’s Wilmington home, the President’s counsel revealed on Thursday
Joe Biden tweets a video of himself with his classic 1967 Corvette Stingray – which was in the same garage as documents
‘People know I take classified documents,’ classified materials seriously,’ Biden said, beginning to read a prepared statement.
‘I’m going to get a chance to speak on this soon, God willing,’ he added, as reporters shouted questions. ‘We’re going to see all this unfold.’
The tense back and forth comes after Biden dodged questions during a trip to Mexico about whether he mishandled documents.
He said lawyers ‘discovered a small number of documents with classified markings in storage areas and file cabinets in my home and my – my personal library.’
‘The Department of Justice was immediately notified, he said. ‘We’re going to see all this unfold, I’m confident …’ he said. Biden’s voice trailed off, leading to a chorus of shouted questions. ‘Thank you very much,’ he concluded.
Then, amid the cacophony of questions, he pointed to the back of the auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building where he was speaking. ‘Hey how you doing? Good to see you!’ he yelled, then walked off stage.
The disclosure comes as the White House face multiple questions on why the discoveries have not been revealed until now and who was handling them.
The first set of files, found a week before the November midterms, was located in a locked closet at the Penn-Biden Center in Washington D.C.
Biden got asked how he could have classified materials ‘next to your Corvette.’ He shot back: ‘By the way, my Corvette’s in locked garage, okay?’
He said lawyers ‘discovered a small number of documents with classified markings in storage areas and file cabinets in my home and my – my personal library.’ He also referenced the discovery of materials at the Penn Biden Center in Washington
The discovery of classified materials at the Penn Biden Center has caused a political uproar, and comes amid a DOJ investigation of
The classified documents are believed to have contained information on Iran, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and personal family information including documents about late son Beau’s funeral.
‘As we stated previously, we are fully cooperating with the National Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in possession of the Archives, Sauber said in the Thursday statement.
‘Following the discovery of government documents at the Penn Biden Center in November 2022, and coordinating closely with the Department of Justice, the President’s lawyers have searched the President’s Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, residences – the other locations where files from his Vice-Presidential office might have been shipped in the course of the 2017 transition.
‘The lawyers completed that review last night.
‘During the review, the lawyers discovered among personal and political papers a small number of additional Obama-Biden Administration records with classified markings.
‘All but one of these documents were found in storage space in the President’s Wilmington residence garage.
‘One document consisting of one page was discovered among stored materials in an adjacent room. No documents were found in the Rehoboth Beach residence.
‘As was done in the case of the Penn-Biden Center, the Department of Justice was immediately notified, and the lawyers arranged for the Department of Justice to take possession of these documents.
‘The White House will continue to cooperate with the review by the Department of Justice.’
Former President Donald Trump had classified documents at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida after leaving office in 2021 but after numerous attempts by the National Archive, the DOJ allowed the FBI to search the estate for White House documents
Armed Secret Service agents stand outside an entrance to former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022 as FBI agents search estate for classified documents taken from the White House
A special counsel is already reviewing former President Donald Trump’s possession of highly classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago residence. FBI agents searched the residence this summer under a grand jury subpoena after a months-long process seeking to obtain government material.
Biden blasted Trump’s handling of materials in the past, and has stated that he takes care when bringing classified documents home as president that he gets briefed in a secured room and returns classified materials to a military aide.
He told CBS ’60 Minutes’ after the Mar-a-Lago raid: ‘How that could possibly happen? How one – anyone could be that irresponsible?’
Biden’s Corvette, a wedding gift from his father more than 50 years ago, has been valued at $78,000.
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