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This week it was reported that US President Joe Biden had left sensitive documents lying around private buildings at least twice. Critics compare the case to classified documents previously found on Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump. But this comparison does not quite hold. Here’s what we know about the case.
On November 2, classified documents were discovered in a former private office of Biden. CBS News revealed this news more than two months later: on January 9th. It is the headquarters of the Penn Biden Center, an American think tank in Washington.
The think tank was founded in 2018. Prior to that, Biden used the building as an office. He did so between 2009 and 2017, when he was vice president under Barack Obama. The documents date from this period.
The exact content of the documents is unknown. Ten documents were found. CNN reported that some documents have been classified top secret. This means that they contain sensitive information.
Biden’s own lawyers found the documents while cleaning the office. They found the papers in a locked cupboard. It is unclear exactly when the documents ended up there.
Biden’s attorneys immediately reported the find to the US National Archives. Under US law, all official government records must be kept there.
The agency retrieved the documents a day later. The Ministry of Justice has also been informed. Attorney General Merrick Garland investigated whether further investigation was needed.
Secret documents were also discovered at Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware in December. This revealed BNC News on January 11, two days after the White House confirmed the first discovery. The White House did not confirm the second discovery until a day later.
The second collection of documents was found in Biden’s garage. According to his lawyers, it was “a few” documents. This discovery was reported to the courts on December 20.
Biden’s situation resembles that of his predecessor Donald Trump. Secret documents were also found in Trump’s Florida home last year. The former president was found to have carried numerous documents to his home in Mar-a-Lago after his term ended.
The documents were found after the FBI obtained a search warrant to raid the former president’s residence.
0:55That Biden himself is at least sloppy with sensitive documents Rockingis even more painful for the American president. He previously called Trump irresponsible and said “state secrets are not safe with him (Trump, ed.)”.
Like Trump, Biden is also under investigation by a special prosecutor. Garland appointed Robert Hur to investigate whether Biden committed criminal acts or was negligent.
But there are also differences. Trump was about to “fifteen full boxesHe shouldn’t have had about thirteen thousand documents in his house. At least three hundred of them were top secret. Biden had ten documents the first time around and a “small number” the second time around.
Trump’s documents contain information on US nuclear weapons, among other things. There were also secret national security reports from the FBI, CIA and space agency NASA. The contents of the documents found at Biden have not yet been released.
2:58Additionally, Biden’s attorneys themselves reported the found documents. In Trump’s case, the National Archives noted that documents were missing. They were only found when the FBI searched Trump’s home.
The search and discovery of documents at Trump’s home was part of a larger FBI investigation into the former president.
Trump has already been found guilty of acting culpably. So he left after a summons carry documents. Now an investigation is underway to find out if he can be prosecuted.
Biden’s culpable conduct has yet to be determined. There will likely be no criminal charges: the US Department of Justice is following the directive that sitting presidents are not prosecuted.
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