DOJ Seizes More Classified Documents and ‘Surrounding Materials’ in 13-Hour Search of Biden’s Delaware Residence
The access road to President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Del., is seen from the media van on Jan. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
A Department of Justice search conducted over approximately 13 hours at President Joe Biden’s Delaware residence produced a new batch of classified documents and other materials seized on Friday, a lawyer for the president announced a day later.
Biden’s attorney Bob Bauer released a statement on Saturday evening regarding the search conducted Friday, and listing some details about what was removed from the home in the DOJ search.
Special counsel Richard Sauber said the First Couple were not present for the search.
Documents seized included, but were not necessarily limited to, six items with classification markings, as well as “surrounding materials.”
Items taken included items from when Biden was a senator as well as his tenure as vice president under Barack Obama.
In addition to that, the DOJ seized “personally handwritten notes from the vice-presidential years” from the Wilmington residence for “further review,” Bauer explained.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Robert K. Hur this month as special counsel to investigate the handling of classified documents by Biden.
Here is Bauer’s statement:
At the outset of this matter, the President directed his personal attorneys to fully cooperate with the Department of Justice (DOJ). Accordingly, having previously identified and reported to DOJ a small number of documents with classification markings at the President’s Wilmington home, and in the interest of moving the process forward as expeditiously as possible, we offered to provide prompt access to his home to allow DOJ to conduct a search of the entire premises for potential vice-presidential records and potential classified material. This was consistent with the process described in the Statement we released on January 14 and followed after the persona attorney’s discover of the documents found at the Penn Biden Center.
DOJ requested that the search not be made public in advance, in accordance with its standard procedures, and we agree to cooperate.
Yesterday, DOJ completed a thorough search of all the materials in the President’s Wilmington home. It began at approximately 9:35 AM and concluded at around 10:30 PM and covered all working, living and storage spaces in the home. By agreement with DOJ, representatives of both the personal legal team and the White House Counsel’s office were present.
DOJ had full access to the President’s home, including personally handwritten notes, files, papers, binders, memorabilia, to-do lists, schedules, and reminders going back decades. DOJ took possession of materials it deemed within the scope of its inquiry, including six items consisting of documents with classification markings and surrounding materials, some of which were from the President’s service in the Senate and some of which were from his tenure as Vice President. DOJ also took for further review personally handwritten notes from the vice-presidential years.
AS noted in the Statement we released on January 14, we have attempted to balance the importance of public transparency where appropriate with the established norms and limitations necessary to protect the investigation’s integrity. We will continue to do so throughout the course of our cooperation with DOJ.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
