FBI agents, acting on orders from the Justice Department, searched the home of United States President Joe Biden from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. this Friday. It was a prearranged search, without a warrant or court order, but offered voluntarily by Biden and his attorneys. In those nearly 13 hours of thorough examination of the president’s belongings, agents found another six documents with confidential classification marks and accompanying materials from both when Biden was a senator and when he was vice president, his personal attorney reported this Saturday. They took possession of it and also took away some of Biden’s handwritten notes from the years he was vice president (2009 to 2017).
The secret papers’ soap opera seems to have no end. Since discovering the first in a private office at the Penn Biden Center, a university center where Biden worked, the trickle has been constant and the president’s explanations confusing. Biden-appointed Justice Department chief Merrick Garland, who performs the functions of attorney general, has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the case, despite attempts by the president to downplay it. There are major differences, but also obvious parallels, to the roles played by his predecessor Donald Trump at his Mar-A-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump demanded that Biden’s homes be searched, and although voluntary, his residence in Wilmington, Delaware, where the president lived prior to his election and where he typically spends most weekends, was eventually searched. It is a performance for which there are no precedents.
The search of Biden’s home was not released in advance at the request of the Justice Department, according to Bob Bauer, his personal attorney, who on Saturday issued the statement revealing the search and its findings.
“From the beginning, the President has directed his personal attorneys to fully cooperate with the Department of Justice (DOJ). Having previously identified and reported to the DOJ a small number of documents with classified classifications at the President’s home in Wilmington, and in the interest of expediting the process as quickly as possible, we offered to allow the DOJ immediate access to your address a Conduct search of all counties for possible Vice Presidential records and potentially classified material,” the statement said.
According to Bauer, the Justice Department conducted a “comprehensive search” that included all work, living, and storage areas of the home. It took about 12 hours and 45 minutes. As part of an agreement with the Justice Department, representatives from Biden’s personal legal team and the White House Office of Counsel were present.
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It’s usually Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents who act as criminal investigators, and that’s what happened in this case, according to the AP agency, though the statement doesn’t specify it. Investigators had full access to the President’s home, including handwritten notes, files, papers, binders, memorabilia, to-do lists, calendars and memories dating back decades.
“The DOJ took possession of material it believed was within the scope of its investigation, including six items consisting of classified documents and supporting materials, some of which dated from the President’s tenure in the Senate and others from his tenure as Vice President. The DOJ also took personal handwritten notes from the Vice President’s years for further review,” Bauer said in his statement.
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