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The Conversation
The Conversation
Politics
Joshua Holzer, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Westminster College

Special counsels, like those examining Biden's and Trump's handling of classified documents, are intended to be independent – but they aren't entirely

Donald Trump Merrick Garland Joe Biden Jack Smith William Barr Department of Justice Robert Hur Robert Mueller Richard Nixon Archibald Cox
Attorney General Merrick Garland, right, announces his appointment of a special counsel to investigate handling of classified materials in Joe Biden's possession. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Attorney General Merrick Garland has now appointed two veteran prosecutors as special counsels to oversee investigations into how President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump handled classified documents after leaving office – Biden after he ended his terms as vice president in 2017, and Trump after leaving the Oval Office in 2021.

Robert Hur, a former federal prosecutor in Maryland, will investigate whether Biden or any of his staff or associates mishandled classified information. Jack Smith, a longtime top investigator in the Department of Justice, is overseeing two criminal investigations into former President Donald Trump.

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