By Gabriela Flores
The FBI continues its investigation of President Joe Biden for classified documents, with its latest search lasting more than 12 hours this past Friday, Jan. 20. Investigators found in Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware classified material dating back to his days as a senator and vice president.
The inquiry into Biden began in November when his lawyers found classified materials at Penn Biden Center, where he worked between 2017 to 2019, The Hill reported. More documents were later found by the Department of Justice in his Wilmington garage on Dec. 20, and later in his home on Jan. 11. Additional classified materials were found three days later by a White House lawyer. In the latest search, the DOJ collected handwritten notes, memorabilia, and other documents that it deemed relevant to the investigation. As of press time, “six items consisting of documents with classification markings” were reported to have been found in the most recent search.
Representative of the US Attorney in Chicago claimed the FBI search was “consensual,” with Biden’s representatives emphasizing their compliance to the DOJ’s requests, as reported by NPR. The latest extensive search was not made public till the night after.
In the wake of the DOJ’s inquiry into former President Donald Trump and his possession of classified materials, many Americans are drawing comparisons to Biden’s case. Both have had their homes searched by law enforcement, and are currently being investigated by newly-appointed special counsels. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Robert Hur, a former federal prosecutor and senior DOJ official, to determine if Biden improperly handled classified documents.
The sitting president stated he has “no regrets” for his and his team’s handling of the classified document findings. “I think you’re going to find there’s nothing there,” Biden told reporters.
During the house search, Biden’s personal legal team and the White House’s Counsel office were in attendance while the president and First Lady Jill Biden were in their Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home.
The Vanguard will continue reporting updates on the Justice Department’s investigation as they become available.