Classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center (a think tank in Washington). Biden periodically used the think tank from mid-2017 until the beginning of his 2020 campaign. Nov. 2, 2022, Biden’s personal attorneys found the documents in a box in a locked closet at the think tank and turned them over to the National Archives as soon as they were discovered. In a statement by Richard Sauber (the special counsel to the President), the documents appear to be Obama-era records from when Biden was vice president.
In recent weeks, undisclosed searches have been done with the consent and cooperation of the President’s legal team. Officials searched the University of Delaware, Biden’s alma mater, and found two different materials on two separate searches. The materials did not contain any classified markings and are currently being reviewed by the FBI.
“People know I take classified documents and classified information seriously,” Biden claimed in a statement.
Sauber claimed the documents “were not the subject of any previous request or inquiry by the Archives.” He also said, “Biden’s attorneys are cooperating with the DOJ and National Archives to ensure all Obama-Biden administration records are “appropriately in the possession of the Archives.”
National Archives claims they can not share information related to the documents until consulting with the Justice Department to ensure it does not interfere with the criminal probe. “DOJ has advised it will need to consult with the newly appointed Office of Special Counsel (SCO) in DOJ, to assess whether information can be released without interfering with the SCO’s investigation,” archivist Debra Steidel Wall wrote.
Months after the documents were found at the Penn Biden Center, more documents were found at Biden’s house in Wilmington, Delaware on Jan. 12.
After the initial documents were found by Biden’s personal lawyers, they examined other locations where documents might have been shipped after Biden’s vice presidency was over. Documents were found in a storage space in Biden’s garage as well as one document in an adjacent room.
Again, right after the documents were found department lawyers immediately took custody of the records and the Department of Justice was instantly notified.