– Long-tailed: “special counsel’s report on Biden and classified documents”
– Long-tailed: “five big takeaways from the special counsel’s report on Biden and classified documents”.
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WASHINGTON — In a nearly 400-page report released by Special Counsel Robert Hur, fresh insights have emerged regarding the common practice of politicians retaining sensitive information after leaving office. The report specifically focuses on President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents and his engagement with a ghostwriter, shedding light on an increasingly prevalent phenomenon among high-profile individuals seeking to publish books without personally authoring them.
Spanning an executive summary, 17 chapters, a conclusion, and three appendices, the comprehensive report encompasses 388 pages. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Hur as the special counsel in January 2023 following Hur’s previous role as the head of the prosecutor’s office in Maryland, appointed by former President Trump in 2018. Hur subsequently joined the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher law firm in 2021.
Biden’s Memory and ‘Superfluous’ Commentary
The Hur report highlights the special counsel’s decision not to recommend criminal charges against President Biden. One of the key factors contributing to this decision was Biden’s portrayal of himself as an elderly man with a poor memory during the interview with the special counsel. The report reveals that Biden struggled to recall significant events, including the timeframe of his son Beau’s death and details surrounding the Afghanistan debate, which had previously held great importance to him.
In response to the report’s claims, President Biden vehemently objected to any insinuation that he couldn’t remember the date of his son’s passing, expressing his displeasure during a press conference. Biden’s Special Counsel to the President, Richard Sauber, and personal counsel, Bob Bauer, also disputed the report’s characterization of Biden’s memory loss in a letter to the special counsel. They argued that the report unfairly used prejudicial language to describe a common occurrence among witnesses, emphasizing that Biden’s inability to recall specific details from years ago is not unusual.
Ronald Reagan and Precedent for Retaining Classified Materials
The report highlights that President Biden is not the first former executive branch official to keep classified or sensitive materials after leaving office, rather than transferring them to the National Archives. It cites former President Ronald Reagan as a notable example, noting that he retained personal diaries containing top-secret information at his California home after leaving the White House. Despite subsequent criminal litigation involving a Reagan administration official, no investigations were conducted regarding Reagan’s handling of classified information or the retrieval of his diaries.
The report further emphasizes that many former presidents and vice presidents have knowingly retained sensitive materials related to national security without facing criminal charges. During interviews with the special counsel, President Biden underscored this historical precedent, referencing President Reagan’s retention of classified information in his private residence.
Biden’s Conversations with Ghostwriter
The report extensively discusses President Biden’s collaboration with a ghostwriter, delving into the information he shared and his comments on possessing classified material after leaving office. It reveals that Biden documented sensitive information discussed during intelligence briefings with former President Obama and White House Situation Room meetings regarding national security, military affairs, and foreign policy. During sessions with his ghostwriter, Biden occasionally skipped over potentially classified material and cautioned the writer about its sensitivity. However, on at least three occasions, Biden read verbatim from classified entries to his ghostwriter.
The report highlights the significance Biden attributed to his notebooks, considering them highly private possessions he was unwilling to part with. It raises concerns about the risks posed to national security by retaining classified material in unsecured locations and sharing it with a ghostwriter. While acknowledging these risks, the report concludes that criminal charges are not the appropriate remedy in this case.
Deleted and Partially Recovered Evidence
The report also addresses the ghostwriter’s deletion of recordings of conversations with President Biden upon learning of the special counsel’s appointment. However, the ghostwriter cooperated with the investigation, providing his computer and external hard drive for examination. The FBI’s analysis recovered all deleted audio files related to the memoir, although a few portions remained missing. The ghostwriter retained near-verbatim transcripts of the recordings, which he voluntarily shared with the special counsel. The report acknowledges the ghostwriter’s plausible explanations for deleting the recordings, highlighting his preservation of incriminating information that contradicts any intent to obstruct the investigation.
Documents Found in Unusual Locations
Appendix A of the report outlines the documents discovered in President Biden’s office and home, along with their classification levels. Notably, a top-secret document addressing Russian aggression towards Ukraine was attached to a 2014 memo. The report also mentions various biographies of unidentified foreign delegation members and PowerPoint slides detailing options for the distribution and composition of U.S. forces in Afghanistan after 2014.
Appendix B focuses on handwritten materials and notebook entries, examining whether they contained classified information. The entries encompass discussions on Afghanistan and Pakistan, unmanned aerial systems, meetings with John Kerry regarding a foreign adversary, and counterterrorism discussions. Of particular interest was the recovery of documents related to Afghanistan, found in President Biden’s Delaware home in a damaged box near various unrelated items. While acknowledging the possibility of intentional placement, the report concludes that the evidence does not support this theory.
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– Special counsel’s report on Biden and classified documents
– Five big takeaways from the special counsel’s report on Biden and classified documents.
