One year after it began, the investigation into possible mishandling of classified documents by President Biden has concluded. The Justice Department has notified Congress, and the White House Counsel's Office is currently reviewing Special Counsel Robert Hurst's final report for potential executive privilege concerns.
The existence of these classified documents, dating back to President Biden's time as vice president, was first revealed over a year ago. Subsequently, Robert Hurst was appointed as special counsel to investigate whether the Biden team had mishandled these secret government documents, which were discovered at a private office in Washington, D.C., as well as at the president's residence in Wilmington, Delaware.
After a thorough yearlong review, Attorney General Merrick Garland informed lawmakers of its completion just yesterday. In a statement, Garland expressed his commitment to making as much of the special counsel's report public as possible. The White House counsel's office is currently conducting a review to identify any potential executive privilege issues, with the expectation that it will be finalized by the end of this week.
President Biden himself participated in interviews with special counsel Robert Hurst's team over the course of two days, approximately four months ago. Reports indicate that the special counsel's report is not anticipated to include any criminal charges. However, it is expected to provide a detailed and critical assessment of how Biden and his advisors handled the secret government documents upon his departure from office.
In light of the upcoming report's release, advisors within the Biden administration have been preparing for its impact for some time. They fully expect that Republicans will use this as political ammunition against the president, especially given the timing in this election year. It should be noted, however, that these incidents involving President Biden are fundamentally different from former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents, and any attempts to conflate the two would be misleading.
Throughout the investigation process, the Biden administration has emphasized their cooperation and compliance, highlighting the fact that as soon as the documents were discovered, they promptly alerted the National Archives. President Biden himself is likely to argue this point once the report is made public.
As the report's release nears, it is highly anticipated that it will be available for public review in the coming days, providing insights into how the classified documents were handled by President Biden and his advisors. While the report is not expected to include criminal charges, its findings could shape the political discourse surrounding the president in this election year.
