Pressure mounting on Biden as six more classified documents are found at his home
TOP Democrats have criticised Joe Biden after a fourth tranche of classified documents was found at his home, saying the US President should be “embarrassed by the situation”.
Six additional classified documents were seized by FBI investigators during a 13-hour search of Mr Biden’s family home in Wilmington, Delaware.
The announcement of a fourth discovery of classified files in less than a fortnight heaped further embarrassment on the President. Investigators were invited into his home and did not require a search warrant - in contrast to last year’s search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-lago property.
Illinois senator Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said the situation deprived Mr Biden of the moral high ground over Mr Trump.
“Let’s be honest about it. When the information is found, it diminishes the stature of any person who is in possession of it because it’s not supposed to happen ... The elected official bears ultimate responsibility,” said Mr Durbin.
Mr Biden has been under pressure since announcing that “a small number” of classified documents had been found at the Penn Biden Centre in Washington shortly before the midterm elections. Documents were also found in follow-up searches on Dec 20 in the garage of his Wilmington home, and on Jan 11 and 12 in his home library.
The President has repeatedly sought
‘When the information is found, it diminishes the stature of any person who is in possession of it’
to play it down but the discovery in the garage dating back to his time as vicepresident and senator threaten to undermine his re-election bid.
Bob Bauer, Mr Biden’s lawyer, said the FBI “had full access to the President’s home, including personally handwritten notes, files, papers, binders, memorabilia, to-do lists, schedules, and reminders going back decades”.
Former Maryland US Attorney Robert Hur has been appointed as a special counsel to investigate any potential wrongdoing surrounding Mr Biden’s handling of the documents.
Republicans heaped pressure on the President over the weekend. Mike Turner, who is expected to chair the House Intelligence Committee, described Mr Biden as a “serial classified document hoarder” yesterday.
“And this is a real critical question to all this, why did he have these documents to begin with?” said Mr Turner on CBS’S Face the Nation.
“I can think of no reason why the President should have taken home, as a senator or as vice-president, any classified documents that clearly have no protection. They’re available and open to anybody.”
Chris Coons, a Democratic senator and close Biden ally, played down the controversy on ABC’S This Week. “I don’t think this is an issue that’s keeping Americans up at night. I think they’re worried about more day-to-day things like inflation prices and prescription drug prices.”