Republican Representative Mike Waltz from Florida has called for a “damage assessment” following his purported review of classified documents that President Joe Biden allegedly had stashed in his residence and workplace.
Classified Documents Found In Biden’s Basement
Recently, new information emerged regarding the classified documents found in Biden’s basement by federal law enforcement officials.
Federal law enforcement took action following a review of the material by certain members of Congress.
Waltz Expressed His Concerns Regarding The Documents
Waltz, who had personally reviewed the documents, expressed his concerns. Waltz wrote on social media, “I just reviewed a portion of Biden’s classified documents that were taken from his basement by Special Counsel Hur.”
Waltz added, “They were HIGHLY CLASSIFIED and relevant to current national security threats.”
Waltz Urged The Intelligence Community To Conduct An “Immediate Damage Assessment”
After the discovery, Waltz urged the Intelligence Community to conduct an “immediate damage assessment” with regards to the documents discovered in Biden’s possession.
It was found that Biden had in his possession classified documents from his extensive Senate career and eight years as the vice president of the country.
Republicans Are Fighting Hard To Gain Access To The Classified Documents
Certain documents, pertaining to the national intelligence community, were given to members of the House Intelligence Committee and a few senators for examination.
According to a source in the House, Republicans are fighting hard to gain access to the classified documents and memos related the White House discovered in Biden’s possession for review.
Biden Was “Willfully” Keeping The Classified Material to Document His Legacy As A “Historic Figure”
In March, following an investigation, Special Counsel Robert Hur announced that Biden had “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials” discovered in his offices, garage, and basement.
Hur stated that Biden viewed himself as a “historic figure.” He was keeping the classified materials to “document his legacy, and to cite as evidence that he was a man of presidential timber.”
The Documents Were Recovered By FBI Agents
FBI agents recovered the classified documents in December 2022 and January 2023. In his report, Hur concluded that there wasn’t enough conclusive evidence against Biden wto prosecute him.
Hur’s conclusion indicated that a jury might perceive Biden “as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Classified Material Included “Documents About Military And Foreign Policy In Afghanistan”
According to the special counsel’s report, “These materials included (1) marked classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan.”
The document added, “and (2) notebooks containing Mr. Biden’s handwritten entries about issues of national security and foreign policy implicating sensitive intelligence sources and methods.”
Biden Was Keeping “Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information” Level Documents
Investigators discovered that Biden was keeping documents classified up to the “Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information” level in boxes at his Penn Biden Center think tank office in Washington, DC.
Such documents were also discovered in Biden’s garage in Wilmington, Delaware, and in unlocked cabinets and drawers in the basement den of his home.
Biden’s Critics Have Long Criticized Him For The Careless Handling Of Top-Secret Documents
Biden’s critics have long asserted that he handled these top-secret documents carelessly during his time as a senator and vice president.
These assertions gained even more traction when reports surfaced about Biden keeping the documents in unlocked drawers and cabinets of his home.
The Special Counsel’s Portrayal Of Biden
The extensive 345-page report compiled by the special counsel depicts 81-year-old Biden as someone who casually stored documents and notebooks containing classified information at his residence. The comprehensive report included photographs of notes taken by Biden during his tenure as vice president, revealing his practice of organizing note cards into binders for easy transportation upon leaving office.
The report portrays the president as someone who struggles with recalling significant dates in his life. Republicans swiftly capitalized on this damning portrayal to attack the Democratic incumbent as unfit for office.
Biden Was Furious At How The Report Portrays Him
The report’s characterization of Biden as “an elderly man with a poor memory” made the president furious and compelled him to call for a hastily arranged news conference hours after the report came out.
The report even states that Biden has trouble recalling the year in which his son Beau passed away from cancer.
Biden’s Furious Response During The News Conference
Biden was especially furious at the remark about him not remembering when his son passed away. In the news conference, Biden said, “How in the hell dare he raise that!”
Biden added, “It wasn’t any of their damn business. … I don’t need anyone to remind me when he passed away.”
Biden Insisted He Knows Exactly What He Is Doing
In the news conference, many different topics came up. Topics ranged from questions regarding potential national security infractions to discussions about the president’s cognitive abilities and the ongoing U.S. strategy in the Middle East.
Biden asserted that he never inappropriately divulged classified information to anyone. He also affirmed that he was perfectly fit to serve as president of the country and was committed to running for reelection. He declared, “I know what the hell I’m doing.”
Accusations Of Disclosing Classified Material To Ghostwriter
Hur, who had personally interviewed Biden at the White House, uncovered evidence suggesting that the president had “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials to his ghost writer after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen.”
Nevertheless, the special counsel determined that the evidence “does not establish Mr. Biden’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.” During the news conference, Biden refuted the allegations of disclosing classified information, asserting that he took great care to omit any sensitive material while sharing his notes.
Prosecuting Biden Would Be “Unwarranted”
Hur’s report concluded that prosecuting Biden would be “unwarranted” since there were several factors making it challenging to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that he had the intent to violate the law.
Among the various issues that the investigators examined was the question of why Biden initially informed his ghostwriter about possessing classified information back in 2017 but failed to report the same to authorities.
Prosecutors Hinted Biden Simply Might Not Have Recognized That He Had Classified Documents With Him
Prosecutors also hinted that it simply might not have occurred to Biden that he had classified documents with him shortly after his tenure as vice president had concluded.
Hur’s reported asseryed that it would likely be “difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him — by then a former president well into his eighties — of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.”
Hur’s Team Believes Biden’s Case is Different From That Of Trump
Hur’s team emphasized that Biden’s case was significantly different from that of former president Donald Trump, who faces prosecution for retaining classified material.
The team pointed out that Biden promptly returned the documents when requested, whereas Trump declined on multiple occasions when he was asked to.
Biden’s Attorney Expressed Satisfaction That The Investigation Concluded Without Any Charges
Richard Sauber, Biden’s attorney in the documents case, expressed satisfaction that the investigation concluded without any charges being pressed against the president.
In a statement, Sauber emphasized that the president “fully cooperated from day one.” He remarked that every administration concludes with its own set of packing mistakes involving documents, and Biden’s case was not an exception.
Sauber’s Criticism Of Hur
Sauber also criticized Hur “a number of inaccurate and inappropriate comments” that had been included in the report. Sauber said, “Nonetheless, the most important decision the Special Counsel made — that no charges are warranted — is firmly based on the facts and evidence.”
In a response that was featured in the report, Sauber commented, “The report uses highly prejudicial language to describe a commonplace occurrence among witnesses: a lack of recall of years-old events.”
The Team Conducted 173 Interviews During The Investigation
During the investigation, the special counsel team conducted a total of 173 interviews with 147 witnesses, including Biden. The team gathered and examined millions of documents to write the final report. They noted that Biden cooperated with the investigators and gave consent for multiple searches of his properties.
The Justice Department has maintained a longstanding policy that sitting presidents cannot be accused, charged, or prosecuted for alleged crimes. However, officials stated in the report that even if department policy allowed for charging a sitting president, they would have still chosen not to pursue charges against Biden.
