Biden Responds to ‘Easy’ Question on Discovery of Classified Documents: ‘Surprised’
President Joe Biden responded to what he said is an “easy” question about the discovery of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center. While speaking with reporters at the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico…
President Joe Biden responded to what he said is an “easy” question about the discovery of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center.
While speaking with reporters at the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico City, Biden was asked how the documents got there and if the public should have been notified sooner.
“Let me get rid of the easy one first. People know I take classified documents and classified information seriously,” Biden said.
The president mentioned his personal lawyers discovered the documents as they were cleaning out the office.
“They did what they should have done. They immediately called the … turned them over to the Archives, and I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there were any government records that were taken there to that office,” Biden said.
He added, “But I don’t know what’s in the documents. My lawyers have not suggested I ask what documents they were.”
Watch Biden’s remarks below:
Attorney General Merrick Garland has given the U.S. attorney in Chicago the job to review the classified documents, as IJR reported.
Richard Sauber, special counsel to Biden, said the documents were found when Biden’s personal attorneys “were packing files housed in a locked closet to prepare to vacate office space at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C..”
He explained, “The documents were not the subject of any previous request or inquiry by the Archives. Since that discovery, the President’s personal attorneys have cooperated with the Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in the possession of the Archives.”