The House Judiciary Committee recently heard testimony from Special Counsel Hur regarding the investigation into President Biden's handling of classified materials. The investigation, which spanned 15 months and cost several million dollars, involved reviewing over 7 million documents and conducting 173 interviews of 147 witnesses, including President Biden himself.
Special Counsel Hur's comprehensive 345-page report, with several dozen pages of appendices, concluded that no criminal charges were warranted in the matter. The primary law analyzed for potential prosecution was part of the Espionage Act, which criminalizes willful retention or disclosure of national defense information.
During the hearing, it was highlighted that the investigation did not find sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that President Biden willfully retained any classified materials. Various sets of documents found in the president's Delaware home, Penn-Biden Center, and Senate papers at the University of Delaware were examined, with the conclusion that the evidence suggested the presence of classified documents was likely due to innocent mistakes.
Special Counsel Hur emphasized that the report did not use the term 'exoneration' and focused on the legal elements required to prove willful retention of classified information. The investigation's main finding was the lack of sufficient evidence to support criminal charges against President Biden.
The hearing shed light on the meticulous examination conducted by the Special Counsel and the nuanced legal analysis applied to each set of documents. The report's conclusion that no criminal charges were recommended due to insufficient evidence of willful retention of classified materials was a central theme of the proceedings.
