President Joe Biden’s senior aides are under questioning by special counsel Robert K. Hur in an investigation into the appearance of classified documents in the President’s think tank and private residence post his vice presidency.
What Happened: The inquiry, ongoing for nine months, is centered on the handling and possession of classified documents discovered at President Biden’s think tank office and his Delaware home, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. The investigation has now reached high-ranking White House and cabinet officials.
Among those questioned include Steve Ricchetti, a key White House aide, along with Jake Sullivan, Antony J. Blinken, Ron Klain, and Michael R. Carpenter, who hold significant positions in the current administration. The focus is also on whether President Biden and his aides conformed to security protocols in dealing with these documents.
However, the seriousness of this investigation is not seen as equivalent to former President Donald Trump’s retention of classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
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Why It Matters: The investigation follows an FBI raid on Biden’s think tank in November 2022, after the discovery of classified documents at Biden’s private office. The President expressed surprise in January 2023 when these classified documents were found, as reported .
This incident led to concern from Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, over the handling of classified documents by both President Biden and former President Trump. In February 2023, President Biden stated his handling of classified material was “fundamentally different” from his predecessor, adding that comparisons on the mishandling of sensitive material were baseless.
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