Democratic senators Tim Kaine (Va.) and Joe Manchin (W. Va.) have both expressed support for an investigation into President Joe Biden’s potential mishandling of classified documents.
“This news raises serious questions and the appointment of an unbiased special prosecutor to investigate the matter is the right step,” Senator Kaine, and Hilary Clinton’s former vice-presidential running mate, told Fox News on Friday. Manchin had earlier called the initial reports about the discovery of classified documents “extremely irresponsible and disturbing.”
Representative Katie Porter (D., Calif.), also expressed an interest in getting to the bottom of the case. “Classified documents belong in classified settings. . . . Good oversight means you’re willing to hold any rule breaker to account,” she said.
Last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Robert Hur as special counsel to investigate the allegations that Joe Biden potentially mishandled classified documents during his tenure as vice-president.
The Presidential Records Act mandates that all presidential and vice-presidential records must be transferred to the National Archives following the conclusion of an administration.
A cache of classified documents was recently discovered to be in a garage at President Biden’s Wilmington, Del., house in January 2023. Last November, a trove of classified documents was found at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, a Washington D.C. think thank.
“The extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter,” Attorney General Garland said during the press conference announcing Hur’s appointment.
“I strongly believe that the normal processes of this department can handle all investigations with integrity. . . . I strongly believe that the normal processes of this department can handle all investigations with integrity. But under the regulations, the extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter,” Garland affirmed.
Against the backdrop of the unfolding drama, Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate former President Donald Trump in November 2022 over the latter’s possession of hundreds of classified documents at his Florida residence of Mar-a-Lago.