FBI searched Penn Biden Center for classified docs in mid-November: report
In mid-November, FBI agents searched President Biden’s DC think tank office after his lawyers found classified records there that were improperly stored days before the midterm elections. According to a new report.
CBS first reported the FBI search of Penn Biden Center on Tuesday. It was not disclosed previously by the White House, Justice Department, or Biden’s personal lawyers.
Biden’s aides were criticized by Republicans, Democrats, and journalists for omitting key information about the case. This included hiding the first politically-embolizing discovery for more than two years from the public, before giving a series incomplete, incorrect, or evasive statements.
It is unclear whether additional classified material was found by the FBI in the mid-November office search. This follows the Nov. 2 report that Biden’s lawyers discovered 10 documents, some related to Iran, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom at the now-presidential office near the US Capitol.
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The Post reached out to Ian Sams, White House spokesperson for inquiries regarding the controversy. He did not respond immediately to The Post’s request. Spokespeople from the FBI and Justice Department declined comment.
Biden made the first public acknowledgment of the discovery at Penn Biden Center of classified documents during a press conference in Mexico City on Jan. 10, after CBS had reported the story the day before. However, Biden didn’t mention that a second cache containing classified documents had been reported by his team Dec. 20 to have been located in his Wilmington garage.
Biden’s Wilmington residence was searched again several times, and additional classified documents were found. These documents relate to Biden’s vice presidency years as well as his Senate years. On Jan. 20, the second anniversary of Biden’s election as president, the FBI searched the house.
Biden has been adamant about questions regarding the controversy and told a reporter Jan. 19, that he had “no regrets” about hiding the issue until after the midterm election, when former President Donald Trump’s handling classified documents was a major concern.
“I believe you’re going find that there’s nothing there.” Biden said, “I have no regrets.” “I am doing what the lawyers tell me. That’s exactly what they’re doing. There is nothing there.”
Biden acknowledged that classified records had been found near his Corvette in Wilmington on Jan. 12, but defended his handling.
“My Corvette is locked in the garage. OK?” Biden stated that it is not like they are sitting on the street.
Although the White House stated at the time that records searches were complete, Biden’s lawyers found additional documents and the FBI also discovered them.
Robert Hur, a former federal prosecutor, was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Galrland as special counsel. He will investigate whether Biden and others in his orbit have unlawfully handled sensitive government information.
The contents of the documents are not known, except for the fact that some were “top secret.”
Republicans demand additional searches of Biden’s Rehoboth Beach vacation home and Senate papers at the University of Delaware.
Both parties’ lawmakers have demanded briefings on the potential national security threats that could be posed by the discovery and subsequent raids of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property. Jack Smith, a different special counsel investigating Trump’s handling documents, is currently conducting an investigation.
Hunter Biden is the first son of the federal probe for tax fraud, money laundering, and illegal foreign lobbying. According to records from his old laptop, he visited the Wilmington document repository frequently and listed the home as his residence on a 2018 background screening form.
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