IIn the case of storing secret documents in private rooms, US President Joe Biden was interrogated by a private investigator. The White House said on Monday (local time) that “the voluntary survey was conducted at the White House over two days, Sunday and Monday, and concluded on Monday.” The President and the White House, as we have stated from the beginning, will cooperate in the investigation. To the extent appropriate, “relevant information has been made available to the public.” Biden was questioned by special counsel Robert Hoare.
At the end of 2022, classified information dating back to Biden’s time as Vice President was discovered in various locations, including in private offices in Washington, D.C., and at Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware. US Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed Robert Hoare as special investigator for the politically sensitive investigation. Presidents and vice presidents are required to turn over classified documents to the National Archives after leaving office.
The issue is extremely politically sensitive for Biden, as his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who must fight legally on several fronts, caused a scandal with a similar case. The Republican is accused of illegally storing highly sensitive information from his time as president of the United States in private rooms. The FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago property in August 2022 and seized several classified information there. Trump pleaded not guilty at the subpoena hearing that took place in Miami in June. The trial is scheduled to begin on May 20, 2024.
Although the cases of Trump and Biden are very similar at first glance, there are important differences. According to Biden’s team, they immediately notified the National Archives of the discoveries and passed on the documents. Unlike the Biden case, the Trump case was preceded by a dispute with the National Archives. I tried unsuccessfully for months to obtain papers from Trump during his time in office. Trump’s team eventually turned over the documents to the National Archives — but not all of them, as became clear during a sensational search by the FBI in August 2022.
