President Joe Biden will not be charged for handling classified documents while he was out of office. Multiple reports confirm that Special Counsel Robert Hur has decided to not recommend charges.
How Hur Responded To Biden Vs Trump Investigations
Hur’s decision regarding President Biden closes the chapter of a yearlong investigation that was a major topic of discussion leading towards the upcoming 2024 presidential election. This is despite Hur reportedly gathering evidence that the 46th U.S. president “willfully retained” materials.
This presents a sharp contrast with the Trump investigation regarding his own mishandling of classified documents. Hur indicated that Trump “obstructed justice” by refusing to return classified documents after he left the Oval Office.
Hur Claims ‘No Criminal Charges Are Warranted’ Against Biden
According to Hur’s report, it was concluded that “no criminal charges are warranted in this matter.” Hur further explained that the same conclusion would have been reached if there was no policy enforced against charging a sitting president.
Within the contents of the 388-page report, Hur described President Biden as an elderly man suffering with memory issues who was unclear on when his vice president term ended and when his son, Beau Biden, passed away.
An Analysis Of The ‘Uncovered Evidence’ Found By The Special Counsel
The report further claimed that there was a substantial amount of “uncovered evidence” discovered by the special counsel. According to the report, this evidence proved that President Biden “willfully retained and disclosed classified information” when he was a private citizen after his vice presidency ended.
Some of the materials referenced within the document included marked classified documents that highlighted military and foreign policy within Afghanistan. In addition, there were notebooks found that included Biden’s handwritten notes regarding national security issues and foreign policies that referenced sensitive information.
Biden Reportedly Used Notebooks With Sensitive Data To Write Memoir
The report indicated that President Biden used notebooks containing sensitive materials as references when writing his 2017 memoir. He allegedly confirmed to his ghostwriter that some of the documents he used could be classified.
According to the report, the notes referenced such items as “the President’s Daily Brief, National Security Council meetings, and other briefings.” The report further indicated that some of the entries recorded retained their Secret-level classification.
‘It Would Be Difficult To Convince A Jury’ To Convict Biden
Robert Hur’s office ultimately believed that the evidence collected was not substantial enough to establish President Biden was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In addition, his team considered that Biden would present himself as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” at trial.
The report claimed that this type of presentation would make it “difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him” of a serious felony. This was especially since Biden could be a former president by then that is “well into his eighties.”
Biden Attorneys Claim Report Is Not ‘Accurate Or Appropriate‘
Attorneys from Biden’s team targeted the characterization of the president within the special counsel’s report. Bob Bauer, a personal attorney for Biden, and Special Counsel Richard Sauber wrote that the treatment of the president’s memory in the report was not “accurate or appropriate.”
Referencing the two-day interview of Biden conducted by investigators in October, they indicated that there was “ample evidence” showing that President Biden answered their questions well about “years-old events” within that five-hour period.
White House Spokesperson Discusses Executive Privilege Decision
White House spokesperson Ian Sams issued a statement on Thursday regarding the review of the report conducted by the president’s legal team. The statement indicated that the president decided to not assert executive privilege over any section of the report in honor of Biden’s “commitment to cooperation and transparency.”
Robert Hur was first appointed as special counsel in January 2023 after presidential aides discovered ten classified documents at the Penn-Biden Center located in Washington, DC. Biden retained his office in the center.
Biden Blames Staff For Handling of Classified Documents
President Biden blamed his staff for the handling of classified documents on Thursday. He took responsibility “for not having seen exactly what my staff was doing.”
Biden further explained that the items that appeared in his garage and came out of his home were things that were moved by his staff and not by him. When asked what he would do differently, his response was that he would “oversee the transfer of the material” in his offices.
Biden Responds to Reporters With Quips Regarding Memory Questions
During a discussion with the press on Thursday about the report, Biden was asked, “How bad is your memory and can you continue as president?” Biden quipped by saying, “My memory is so bad, I let you speak.”
When asked by a different reporter if he felt that his memory had worsened, Biden stated that his “memory is fine.” He then redirected the conversation by pointing to his accomplishments. He later referenced his opinion that no one thought he could pass any of the things he passed and asked, “How did that happen?” In response, he quipped, “I guess I just forgot what was going on.”
Investigators Interviewed Nearly 100 Current And Former Officials
Nearly 100 current and former officials were reportedly interviewed by investigators – including Hunter Biden, Ron Klain (former White House Chief of Staff), and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
According to ABC News, some of the sources in attendance claim that authorities uncovered various instances of carelessness from Biden’s term as vice president. However, they agreed that the improper removal of classified information from his office after leaving the White House in 2017 seemed more accidental than criminal.
