Joe Biden Says 'I Have No Regrets' as He Breaks Silence on His Handling of Classified Documents
President Joe Biden finally broke his silence on Thursday on the delayed disclosure of classified documents found at his Delaware home and old office in Washington, D.C.
According to ABC News, Biden said he has "no regrets" about how he and his camp have handled the discovery and disclosure of the classified documents. The classified documents were believed to be from Biden's time as vice president under Barack Obama's administration.
"I think you're going to find there's nothing there. I have no regrets," the president said during a trip to California to survey storm damage.
It was Biden's first public comment since Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, last Thursday to investigate how the classified documents ended up in the president's private home and his former office last week.
When asked why he did not reveal the existence of the documents back when the first batch was found in early November before the midterm election, Biden said: "We found a handful of documents... filed in the wrong place, we immediately turned them over to the [National] Archives and the Justice Department" and "we're fully cooperating and looking forward to getting this resolved quickly."
He noted that he is following what his lawyers advised him to do and that, "There's no 'there' there." The first batch of the classified documents was found at Biden's former think tank office at the University of Pennsylvania in Washington.
Biden had previously worked there while serving as a vice president. The discovery of these documents prompted the president's lawyers to search his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
His attorneys found a second set of documents there on December 20, followed by several more on January 11 and 12. The classified documents were reportedly found in Biden's personal library at his home, while other government records were found in his garage next to his Corvette.
The White House only confirmed the November discovery of classified documents on January 9. However, it did not disclose the set of documents found on December 20. Garland only confirmed the December 20 discovery of government records in a press briefing on January 12.
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Joe Biden's Classified Documents
The items reportedly discovered in Joe Biden's former private office include 10 documents with classified markings, including U.S. intelligence memos and briefing materials covering topics such as Iran, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom under the Obama administration.
Merrick Garland said Robert Hur's appointment highlights the Justice Department's commitment to both independence and accountability when it comes to sensitive matters, NPR reported. Hur was appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland under the Trump administration.
In a statement, White House lawyer Richard Sauber said they are confident that a thorough probe will show that the documents were "inadvertently misplaced."
Sauber added that the president and his legal team acted immediately upon discovery of this mistake. The White House also argued that Biden does not know the content of these documents.
Classified Documents Probe
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged the Justice Department's special counsels to treat Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump's classified documents investigation equally.
McConnell said, "What's good for one candidate for president ought to be good for another one." Biden's classified documents have triggered the Senate Republican leader to promise an investigation into the president.
For his part, Rep. Matt Gaetz said there is a feeling that the "Democrats are taking out" Biden with the classified documents scandal.
Gaetz noted that perhaps the Democrats have realized that the president "is not useful to them anymore," adding that they are now "tossing him out and get a younger crop of candidates" for the next presidential elections.
The Republican lawmaker went on to say that one of the biggest concerns at the moment is the content of the documents and if they were connected to China, especially since it was reported that the University of Pennsylvania received millions in donations from Chinese donors.
READ MORE: Classified Documents Found in Joe Biden's Former Office as U.S. Vice President Being Reviewed by DOJ
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Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: 'I Have No Regrets': Biden Answers Questions About Classified Documents - From LiveNOW From FOX