The White House confirmed on Thursday that lawyers for President Joe Biden found new classified documents dating to his time as vice president (2009-2017) at one of his private residences in Delaware, United States.
A statement from Richard Sauber, the White House special counsel, said the presidency’s legal team was conducting a search of the Wilmington property and a beach home in Rehoboth in partnership with the Department of Justice. Sauber noted that additional materials from the Biden administration may have been sent to these sites during the 2017 transition. He added that the review was completed the previous night.
Officials reported the discovery included political and personal records along with several confidential documents. Most of the papers were found in a warehouse storage area inside the garage of Biden’s Wilmington residence, with a single page located in an adjacent room. No documents were located at the beach house, Sauber stated.
The White House counsel recalled that the searches were prompted by an earlier finding and emphasized that the matter had first been disclosed at the Penn Biden Center think tank in November. He stressed ongoing cooperation with the National Archives and the Department of Justice to ensure that records from the Obama and Biden administrations are handled properly and placed where they belong at the national archives.
Regarding the reasons for the documents and who directed their transfer to these locations, Sauber said the specifics remain unclear. Still, this marks the second disclosure of its kind this week as investigators pursue a fuller understanding of the handling of sensitive materials.
On Wednesday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre was pressed by journalists about why information was not released sooner before the documents came to light a few days before the midterm elections. Jean-Pierre declined to provide a detailed explanation, reiterating that the matter is being examined by the Department of Justice.
The White House reiterated a commitment to full cooperation with investigators, and Biden acknowledged the situation on Tuesday, stating that he does not yet know what documents were involved or what their presence at the various sites might signify.
Though the scenario resembles one later involving former President Donald Trump and a Florida residence, Sauber pointed out key differences. In Trump’s case, federal agents were involved to retrieve materials, whereas Biden’s documents were reportedly handed over by a team within his orbit, with the DOJ becoming directly involved in the recovery process.
Everything will become clear
Earlier on Thursday, Biden commented that the ongoing dispute over classified materials housed at private locations would eventually be clarified. He expressed confidence that answers would emerge as investigators continue their work and as the public awaits a fuller explanation of how the documents were managed during and after his vice presidency.