WASHINGTON—The Federal Bureau of Investigation searched President Biden’s former office at a Washington think tank for classified documents in November after his aides earlier that month, people familiar with the matter said. Found such an item He handed it over to the National Archives.
Mr. Aides made the discovery on Nov. 2 after Biden’s lawyers agreed to allow a search of his former office at Ben Biden Diplomacy and Global Engagement. A dozen documents are declassified. The search, previously reported by CBS News, was unable to determine if investigators found any additional items.
Tel Mr. Biden’s handling of national secrets It put the White House on the defensive about how the purpose of the mishandled documents was revealed to the public.
Neither the White House nor the Justice Department mentioned the November office search, when officials provided a timeline of findings and the appointment of Attorney General Merrick Garland. A special consultant explores why And documents Mr. How Biden was followed. Mr. Garland said.
A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment. A spokesman for the White House Counsel’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
University of Pennsylvania spokesman Ron Osio referred questions about the search to the Justice Department.
After initial discovery at a Washington think tank, the Justice Department considered FBI agents monitoring the Biden legal team’s search of additional classified documents at the president’s residences, but decision against it, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.
The Justice Department is investigating how classified documents from former President Trump’s time as vice president got into his home and President Biden’s home and personal office. Here’s how documents should be handled during the transition. Description: Adele Morgan
Mr. After the Biden team Additional documents were found in his garageand handed them over to law enforcement, FBI agents Wilmington searched the house on January 20, taking six additional items with categorical identities and some associated items. Mr. Biden’s lawyers said they gave the FBI full access to the property ahead of the 12-hour search.
The special counsel, Robert Hurr, is expected to begin work this week on what could be a month-long investigation.
Meanwhile, the National Archives and Records Administration’s general counsel sat down for a transcribed interview with the GOP-led House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Tuesday afternoon. The committee, which has jurisdiction over NARA, is conducting a detailed investigation into the document findings, requesting information from archives, the White House, the Secret Service and the Ben Biden Center.
Mr. Lawmakers from both parties are frustrated that the intelligence community has not withdrawn or provided a detailed explanation of classified documents found in Biden’s personal possessions. Another set of documents was found In ex-pres
Donald TrumpPossession of. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) on Tuesday spoke with Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D., Va.) and the panel’s top Republican, Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) supported the request for details. Mr. About classified documents found in Biden’s personal possessions.
“What they are asking here will not interfere with these ongoing criminal investigations. I believe the administration will come up with a better answer than no, which is what both the chairman and the vice chairman recently said,” Mr. McConnell said. “Their demand to find out what kind of documents were improperly withheld is clear to me in their oversight work on the Intel committee. .”
Mr. The history of the Biden document has drawn comparisons to efforts by the National Archives and the Justice Department to retrieve classified and other documents from Trump’s Florida home. Criminal investigation for possible prohibition, and a warrant-backed search at the resort in August. Mr. Trump has called the investigation a witch hunt and has done nothing wrong.
Last week, lawyers for the former vice president
He also revealed He discovered classified material At his home in Indiana, he said he took the documents by mistake and didn’t know he had them.
— Annie Lynskey and Siobhan Hughes contributed to this article.
Write to Sadie Gurman at sadie[email protected] and Aruna Viswanatha at [email protected]
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