FACTBOX: US Department of Justice Looks into Biden’s Secret Docs Dilemma

The Republican Party pointed to similarities between this case and the accusations made by the Democrats against former US president Donald Trump

US Department of Justice Peter Silverman Photo/Shutterstock/FOTODOM

MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. Two months after it was alerted by the National Archives, the US Department of Justice has appointed a special counsel to look into the scandal over the classified docs from Joe Biden’s tenure as vice president in 2008-2016 found at the 46th president’s namesake think tank and in one of his residences.

The Republican Party pointed to similarities between this case and the accusations made by the Democrats against former US president Donald Trump. Republicans insist on a probe, yet fear lest the special counsel could hamper that.

Below are the basic facts TASS has collected on the political scandal.

Secret files

On January 10, reports emerged that roughly ten documents, marked classified, from Biden’s tenure as vice president under Obama were found at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington. The think tank where Biden himself worked before his nomination as the Democratic candidate for US president was established in 2018.

The White House confirmed that the files were found by the president’s personal attorneys on November 2, 2022, prior to the midterms. The papers were stored in a folder inside a moving box.

The White House then notified the National Archives, where all such papers must be turned in. CNN reported citing sources that the files contained intel data on Ukraine, Iran and Great Britain. Officials also told CNN that the documents were not associated with nuclear issues, unlike those found in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate earlier.

Special counsel

On November 4, the National Archives alerted the Department of Justice (DOJ) about the incident, and Attorney General Merrick Garland launched an investigation that led to Robert Hur being appointed a special counsel to take over the investigation.

Biden himself assured that he was cooperating with the DOJ, but said he was surprised with what had happened. The president was not warned about the potential appointment of a special counsel in advance, the White House added.

On January 12, aides to the US leader found another set of classified documents at the think tank, NBC said, and more were uncovered in the garage of one of Biden’s homes in Wilmington, Delaware. The 46th president said he had notified the DOJ, and stressed that the garage had been locked.

Republican response

Republican Kevin McCarthy, the incoming House Speaker, expressed his grave concern over the situation, especially in light of the scandal drummed up by the Democrats around his GOP colleague, Donald Trump. Former US vice president Mike Pence accused this administration of using double standards.

Trump himself said hopefully the FBI would conduct searches at some of Biden-aligned property. His fellow party members raised similar demands. Republican congressmen proposed estimating the damage from the incumbent leader’s possession of classified documents.

The US House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, led by Republican James Comer, is now set to look into the circumstances behind the storage of the files. However, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene argues, the appointment of a special counsel by the DOJ may effectively deny Congress access to these papers.

Biden, Trump and other top officials in similar cases

Former NSA (National Security Agency) employee and whistleblower Edward Snowden said that Biden "absconded" with more classified documents than many whistleblowers from his time as vice president. For comparison, Reality Winner was sentenced to five years for just one document, Snowden tweeted on Thursday.

He also noted that prior to Biden and Trump, others having been in illicit possession of secret docs include former US president Bill Clinton, as well as ex-CIA boss David Petraeus — "these guys have dozens, hundreds. No jail," Snowden argued.