US President Joe Biden has found himself in trouble after allegedly mishandling classified documents and official records related to the Obama administration. In the latest development in the situation, more classified documents were found by his lawyers at his Delaware home on Saturday, according to a White House statement. The ‘secret’ documents were first found in November 2022 in his former offices at the Penn Biden Center in Washington from his time as Vice President. The mishandling of these documents is being investigated by Robert Hur, a special counsel who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The case has raised questions about whether Biden’s chances of running for president again in the 2024 election will be dashed.
mishandling of classified information
The US Department of Justice has strict rules when it comes to bringing criminal charges in cases involving the mishandling of classified information. It requires that the person intended to break the law rather than being careless or negligent. The law governing the illegal removal and retention of classified documents makes it a crime to “knowingly” remove classified documents and store them in an unauthorized manner.
How different are the classified documents cases of Trump and Biden
Some reports claim that the situation with President Joe Biden is separate from the investigation into the misappropriation of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s private club and residence in Florida. In Trump’s case, special counsel Jack Smith is investigating whether anyone attempted to block the investigation into the retention of classified records at the Palm Beach estate. Justice Department officials have said Trump’s representatives did not fully comply with a subpoena demanding the return of classified records, prompting agents to return to the home with search warrants to collect additional material. did. However, it is unclear whether Trump’s case is worse than Biden’s.
Recent revelations about the mishandling of classified documents by President Joe Biden’s team have led to dismay among his aides and advisers who had hoped the president and his team would handle such matters better.
(with inputs from Reuters)