US Justice Department Searches Biden’s Beach House
NEW DELHI, Feb 1: The US Justice Department began a search on Tuesday of President Joe Biden’s beach house in Delaware, his lawyer said, in the latest stage of an operation to track down improperly stored classified documents.
The search in Rehoboth, which Biden’s personal lawyer, Bob Bauer said was done “with the president’s full support and cooperation,” followed similar searches that turned up small numbers of documents in Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington and a former office space in Washington, DC.
“We agreed to cooperate,” said Bauer in a statement, saying more information would be released after the search was concluded. The Justice Department has previously searched the Democratic president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and an office space he had used.
Classified documents have also been found in the homes of former Republican President Donald Trump and his former vice president, Mike Pence. Biden has vowed to cooperate with the searches and Pence had said he takes responsibility for the found documents. Trump resisted efforts to return materials in his possession, prompting a FBI search of his Florida home and resort last year.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed two separate special counsels to review Trump and Biden’s handling of such documents as both eye the 2024 presidential election.
The National Archives has reportedly asked all former US presidents and vice presidents to search their personal records for classified documents or other presidential material that should have been turned over when they left office. It is unlawful to knowingly or wilfully remove or retain classified material, although no current or former president or vice president has been charged with wrongdoing.
(Manas Dasgupta)
