Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate how classified documents ended up at President Biden’s personal office in Washington D.C., and at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. Garland appointed Robert Hur, who has previously served as the top prosecutor for the state of Maryland.
According to the Justice Department, Hur will now be charged with investigating “the possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or other records discovered at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement and the Wilmington, Delaware, private residence of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.”
“I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service,” Hur said following his appointment.
“As I’ve said before, I strongly believe that the normal processes of this department can handle all investigations with integrity. But under the regulations, the extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter,” Garland said when making the announcement.
- Nov. 4, 2022, National Archives Office of Inspector General informs DOJ prosecutor about classified documents found at Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C.
- Nov. 9, 2022, FBI begins an investigation.
- Nov. 14, 2022, Attorney General Garland assigns U.S. attorney John Lausch to help him determine whether to appoint a special counsel.
- Dec. 20, 2022, President Biden’s personal lawyer informs Lausch that additional documents were found in the president’s garage at his Wilmington, Delaware, home.
- Jan. 5, 2023, Lausch advises Attorney General Garland that appointing a special counsel for further investigation is warranted.
- Jan. 12, 2023, the president’s personal attorney informs Mr. Lausch that more documents were found at the president’s Wilmington home.
Earlier today, President Biden admitted that more documents were found locked in the garage of his Wilmington home next to his Corvette.
“By the way my Corvette’s in a locked garage. So it’s not like they’re sitting out on the street,” President Biden said.
He went on to explain that a small number of documents with classified markings were found at his home in the filing cabinets of his personal library. He said the Department of Justice was immediately notified and his lawyers arranged for the DOJ to take possession of the documents.
“People know I take classified documents and classified material seriously. I also said we’re cooperating fully and completely with the Justice Department’s review. As part of that process, my lawyers reviewed other places where documents from my time as vice president were stored and they finished the review last night,” the president said after a speech on the economy.
In November, Garland appointed career prosecutor Jack Smith to investigate former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents that were found at his Mar-a-Lago home. Smith is also reviewing whether anyone unlawfully interfered in the peaceful transfer of power from the Trump to Biden administration.
