In the affair about the storage of secret government documents in private rooms, the team of US President Joe Biden (79) has admitted a mistake.
After the Justice Department appointed special counsel on the matter on Thursday, Biden’s adviser Richard Sauber said: “We are confident that a thorough review will determine that these documents were accidentally misplaced and that the president and his lawyers will take immediate action. when they find out. acted wrong.”
Secret documents found in Biden garage
In recent days it has become known that weeks ago classified information from Biden’s time as vice president had been discovered in various places. These include private offices in the state capital, Washington, and the garage at Biden’s private residence in Wilmington, Delaware.
Regarding the appointment of the special counsel, Biden’s spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House was not notified in advance, only finding out through department chief Merrick Garland’s press conference. The ministry works independently.
Jean-Pierre consistently avoided questions from reporters about the case – for example, why the White House did not inform the public of the discoveries until several weeks later, and also little by little after the media reported on them.
Jean-Pierre did not respond, but stressed that Biden’s team’s approach to the matter was transparent and exemplary, and that the president took the handling of classified information very seriously.
Especially sensitive after the Trump scandal
All this is politically very sensitive for Biden, because his Republican predecessor Donald Trump caused a scandal in the summer with a similar case.
After leaving the White House, Trump extensively preserved government documents at his private Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, including a number of top secret documents. The Federal Police FBI had searched the property in August and seized several classified documents. Biden had criticized Trump’s handling of the documents. (SDA)