Biden or members of his entourage kept classified information in an unsecured environment for more than six years. Five more pages of this type of sensitive information have just been found at President Biden’s Delaware home, bringing the total number of discoveries over the past week to six. The revelation comes as his attorneys at his home and in an office he used as vice president provide new details of previous discoveries over the past two months.
The White House has been criticized for not revealing the affair much earlier. A lawyer for Biden said the president has tried to balance transparency with the need to protect the integrity of investigations by avoiding the release of information that could harm investigators’ work.
A parallel between the two cases?
It is the first time in American history that an incumbent president and his immediate predecessor are simultaneously the subject of a federal criminal investigation.
Much to the delight of Trump and Republicans, the discovery of classified documents in Biden’s possession leads the American public to view the two situations as similar. How can Trump be held criminally responsible in connection with classified documents found in Mar-a-Lago if nothing is done about Biden?
Okay, sure, Biden broke the law by being in possession of classified documents in unsecured environments. And his government has shot itself in the foot by delaying disclosure of the issue. The White House has fueled suspicions that will serve Trump and Republicans politically.
Trump is under investigation for willfully withholding classified documents by refusing direct requests from National Archives officials. The FBI was forced to seize the documents with a search warrant after finding out Trump’s lawyers had lied to them. In Biden’s case, his attorneys worked closely with the National Archives, promptly notifying them of their discovery and releasing the documents.
The only crime Biden could be charged with was the “grossly negligent” loss of national security information.
Bye bye Trump and Biden
An independent special counsel has been appointed to the Biden case, so the Justice Department appears not to be giving the president preferential treatment in light of the ongoing investigation into Trump. A decision based on both public perception and the law. External appearances play a major role in politics.
I don’t think that will save Trump from being charged with stealing classified documents. But it will further tarnish Biden’s image and increase Democrat doubts about his candidacy in 2024.