Biden Classified Documents Probe Likely to Result in No Charges
November 16, 2023
According to sources familiar with the probe, no criminal charges are expected to be filed in connection with President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents. Special Counsel Robert Hur, a Republican appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, is nearing the completion of his report on Biden’s actions and is not expected to recommend charges against the president or anyone else.
The investigation involved the discovery of a small number of classified documents at Biden’s Delaware home and a Philadelphia office he once used. While Hur’s report is anticipated to be critical of Biden, it will also conclude that his actions did not constitute a crime. Biden claims he was unaware that the documents, from his time as vice president, were being stored in these locations.
Last year, the president’s legal team uncovered the cache of documents in Philadelphia and subsequently alerted federal authorities, leading to the retrieval of the documents by the FBI. Despite additional searches at other sites connected to Biden, no further documents were found.
In contrast to Biden’s case, former President Donald Trump has been charged by Special Counsel Jack Smith for intentionally taking hundreds of classified documents with him to Mar-a-Lago upon leaving the White House in early 2021. Trump allegedly refused to return the documents, defied a federal subpoena, and attempted to hide the documents with the help of others. He is set to face trial in May 2024.
The Biden documents case also drew attention to a similar finding at the home of former Vice President Mike Pence near Indianapolis, but no special counsel was appointed in that instance and no further action was taken by federal authorities.