In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents, reports indicate that he is unlikely to face criminal charges. The probe, led by Special Counsel Robert Hur, is drawing to a close without the expectation of charges being filed, as per recent reports by CNN and the Wall Street Journal.
This investigation, which has spanned several months, scrutinizes Biden’s retention of sensitive material from his tenure as a U.S. Senator from Delaware. Notably, Biden cooperated fully with the investigation, participating in voluntary interviews with Hur’s team on multiple occasions, as confirmed by the White House.
Meanwhile, House Republicans, led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), are intensifying their focus on the classified document issue. Comer, who is spearheading an impeachment inquiry concentrated on the Biden family’s international business activities, has recently subpoenaed former White House counsel Dana Remus for more information related to the case.
Comer’s Oversight Committee has been delving into the sequence of events surrounding the discovery of these documents, highlighting perceived inconsistencies in the timeline provided by the White House. Earlier in the year, it was revealed that Biden’s personal attorneys found classified documents at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C., just before the midterm elections. These documents, some labeled “top secret,” reportedly pertained to countries like the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Iran.
Additional classified materials were later retrieved from Biden’s residence in Wilmington, Delaware. This location gained attention following the discovery of images from Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop, which showed a box marked “Important Doc’s” in proximity to where these documents were stored.
The White House has not immediately responded to requests for comments on these developments.
The likelihood of Biden not facing charges aligns with the Justice Department’s policy against indicting a sitting president, citing potential disruption to the executive branch’s constitutional functions.
Special Counsel Hur, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, has been investigating the matter since January 12. This appointment came roughly two months after Garland named Jack Smith as special counsel to investigate former President Donald Trump’s mishandling of national security documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort.