The year has not been off to an optimal start for Joe Biden. Since the announcement of the first findings of classified material in his private office at the Penn Biden Center, batches of documents have not stopped appearing, causing many to question the president and call for an investigation.
Both Republicans and Democrats have expressed concern about Biden's mishandling of the country's classified documents and are calling for answers.
What is known so far?
On Nov. 2, the first batch of hidden classified files from Joe Biden's time as vice president were found. The documents were located in one of his private offices in Washington and are presumed to include intelligence memos and digital intel on other countries.
This discovery of at least 10 classified files was kept secret until after the midterm elections on Nov. 8. In fact, it was not until Jan. 9 that the news was made public when a media outlet released the details.
Joe Biden said he was "surprised" by the discovery of these files and assured that he was cooperating with the investigation. Since then, he has sought to avoid discussing the issue in public appearances and tried to downplay its importance.
Statement from White House Counsel's Office on ongoing cooperation with the Archives and Department of Justice: pic.twitter.com/Dn3F8Oqggd
— Ian Sams (@IanSams46) January 12, 2023
A few days later, another batch containing several pages of classified files turned up in the garage of one of his Delaware homes, adding to the severity of the case. Since then, three more batches of files have been found, including some from when Biden was a senator.
An estimated 25 to 30 classified papers have been found, but the exact contents of these files and who had access to them has not been determined.
"It is troubling that classified documents have been improperly stored at the home of President Biden for at least six years, raising questions about who may have reviewed or had access to classified information. Additionally, President Biden’s personal attorneys, who do not possess security clearances, and White House staff continue to access and search1 the President’s residence in Wilmington, Delaware for classified documents," James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said.
Even Biden's fellow Democrats have called the mishandling of classified files "extremely irresponsible and disturbing," and many have insisted on the importance of getting to the bottom of the situation.
"So that’s why there needs to be this independent investigation.… How many documents are we talking about? Dozens, a handful or hundreds? How serious are they? Why were they taken? Did anyone have access to them?" said Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine.
New Bombshell reveals REAL scandal of Biden's stolen classified docs— Rep. James Comer UNLOADS:
"This has ALL the patterns of an influence-peddling scheme." pic.twitter.com/YbbMbou8rT
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 23, 2023
Republicans demand information from the Secret Service
After the White House said it does not keep any records of people who have visited Biden's home where the documents were found, Republicans decided to turn to the Secret Service for information on this issue as part of the investigation.
"Given the White House’s lack of transparency regarding President Biden’s residential visitor logs, the Committee seeks information from the Secret Service regarding who had access to his home since serving as Vice President," indicates the Republicans' letter to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
According to Republican James Comer, since Biden assumed the office of the presidency, he has traveled some 52 times to the Wilmington, Del. home where many of the classified documents were found.
