US Justice Department reports Biden retained classified documents

Justice Department reveals President Joe Biden knowingly retained and disclosed highly classified materials during his tenure as a private citizen, including documents on military and foreign policy in Afghanistan

President Joe Biden “willfully” kept and exposed highly secret government documents when he was a private individual, according to a Justice Department study released on Thursday. These materials included information about military and diplomatic policy in Afghanistan and other sensitive national security topics. Special counsel Robert Hur’s report made public on Thursday, provides a negative evaluation of Biden’s handling of these documents but concludes that no criminal charges are necessary.

Over the course of the year-long examination, Biden’s preservation of classified materials from his tenure as a senator and vice president was examined. These records were found in a number of locations, including his home in Delaware and a private office he utilized in between serving as vice president and president. Evidence points to the possibility that many of these documents were mistakenly kept.

The results might significantly affect Biden’s capacity to respond to accusations made against Donald Trump, his presidential rival, who is accused of improperly holding confidential documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Despite acknowledging Biden’s improper handling of secret files, the report does not suggest filing charges, noting, among other things, his right to have such papers at home given his position as vice president and then president.

The probe also focused on Biden’s handling of confidential documents related to Afghanistan strategy, including his denial of a military build-up in the Obama years. Biden’s garage in Delaware had documents with classified marks up to the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information Level among regular home items, indicating an unintentional storage approach, according to the investigation. 

The assessment comes to the conclusion that there is no need for criminal charges, even if there are signs that Biden deliberately kept and distributed sensitive documents. This conclusion is influenced by a number of factors, including Biden’s poor memory and the lack of convincing proof of deliberate retention. While pointing out the distinctions in Biden’s circumstances, the report also notes the precedence for charges in situations comparable to Biden’s, such as Gen. David Petraeus’s guilty plea for revealing sensitive material.

Biden assisted investigators over the course of the probe and made quick arrangements for the return of classified materials to the National Archives upon their discovery. The report reiterates remarks made by White House attorney Richard Sauber, who emphasized Biden’s dedication to protecting sensitive material, by emphasizing that although his actions show that he mishandled the situation, they do not justify punishment.

Source: AP