By Sam Cabral BBC News, Washington
image provided, US Pool
Government documents found in US President Joe Biden’s former personal office include what has been designated as top-secret, CBS reported on Monday.
According to CBS News, a BBC affiliate in the US, 10 files of government documents found at the Penn-Biden Center, a think tank in Washington, included classified documents designated as “top secret.” The Center is an institution of the University of Pennsylvania that focuses on diplomacy.
Less than 10 government documents were found at Biden’s home in Delaware, but none of them were “top secret,” CBS reported.
A leak of top-level classified information could cause “very serious damage.”
There are three basic levels of classification for US government documents. “confidential,” “secret,” and “top secret.”
A total of about 20 classified documents were found in two locations, Biden’s home and private office, CBS News reported, citing federal investigators.
First reported in the media on the 9th of this month, the documents were first found at the Penn-Biden Center in November last year, just before the midterm elections. Biden’s Democrats narrowly lost control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, but retained their majority in the Senate.
Biden’s staff found more government documents in the garage and rooms of Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, as of December 20, 2019, according to a follow-up to the 12th of this month. rice field.
President Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on the 13th. He was repeatedly questioned by reporters about classified documents, but the president did not answer. A day earlier, Mr. Biden told reporters that government documents were found locked in his garage next to a vintage sports car.
The White House said it was cooperating fully with the Justice Department’s investigation, acknowledging that the government documents were “unintentionally” placed where they shouldn’t have been.
When asked about the FBI’s August raid of former President Donald Trump’s private residence and resort in Florida, which seized several top-secret documents, Biden has said, “Absolutely. criticized as irresponsible.
The Justice Department is also investigating Trump’s handling of official documents. More than 300 classified documents were found at Trump’s private residence, some of which were classified as “secret” or “top secret.”
Republicans launch their own investigation
image provided, Getty Images
Rep. Jordan (center) leads Republican investigation
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed Robert Herr, a former U.S. prosecutor under President Donald Trump, as a special counsel to investigate the case. Following this, on the 13th, the majority party in the US House of Representatives, the opposition Republican Party, launched its own investigation.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to the Justice Department to open an investigation. In it, the Justice Department asked, “Did you dare hide this information from the public just before the 2022 election?”
“Top level law enforcement officials in the executive branch should be transparent and accountable to the American people,” Jordan wrote.
Chairman Jordan asked the Justice Department to submit all relevant documents to the commission by Jan. 27, regarding the timing of their release and the appointment of a special counsel over the discovery of government documents in Mr. Biden’s home and office. asked to
Earlier on the 13th, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (Republican) wrote a letter to the White House, and the president’s son Hunter Biden obtained classified documents at the Biden residence in Delaware. I asked if it was possible to Hunter Biden has been the subject of multiple scandals and speculation.
Republicans have also asked the White House to release the history of visitors to Biden’s home, but the White House has not taken a policy on this.
Since taking office in January 2021, Biden has spent nearly 200 days, more than a quarter of his tenure, in his home state of Delaware, according to the Associated Press. He will be staying in Wilmington, TN this weekend as well.