People from President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign are reportedly bracing for the impact of the upcoming report by Special Counsel Robert Hur, who was appointed to investigate Biden’s potential mishandling of classified documents. Biden allegedly had classified documents stored in unsecured locations, including his home’s garage next to his famed Chevrolet Corvette as well as in storage at the Penn Biden Center, a Washington, D.C., think tank named after Biden.
The report is believed to include images of egregious mishandling of classified information that can be used by the Donald Trump campaign in advertising. Some questions are raised about impartiality in the justice system when Trump faces numerous charges for his alleged mishandling of documents, and Biden so far has barely gotten a proverbial slap on the wrist.
Trump is expected to face trial this year for more than forty charges in Palm Beach, Florida, related to the documents in addition to, but not limited to, willful retention of national defense information and obstruction of justice. The charges were filed by special counsel Jack Smith after his own investigation into Trump.
Trump using the photos is what the Biden campaign fears; they believe Trump can use the images in the report to show the differences in the way the Department of Justice has handled the investigation into the two Presidents. People who work for President Biden say that the report could come out as soon as this week, but there are no confirmed dates of release set at this time.
The key difference in these two cases is that former President Trump was the sitting President when he took the documents from the White House while Biden’s documents were from his time as Vice President and, in some cases, from his thirty-six-year tenure in the senate dating back to 1974. The President of the United States has plenary authority to declassify classified materials for their own purposes and can take documents for their archives once they leave office. The Vice President and Senators have no such authority, raising serious questions about the ethical standards of the current President.
A Monmouth student who wished to remain anonymous commented, “Biden used Trump’s classified documents cases to campaign and raise money, so Biden’s legal issues are fair game. Politics is politics.”
Another anonymous student said, “When Trump did it, they went after him with everything they had. Now when Biden does it, it’s just a mistake? Give me a break!”
Biden’s aides do not expect criminal charges at this time. They believe that Hur’s investigation has concluded and that he will release a report in the coming days. The White House was already unhappy with Attorney General Merrick Garland for even appointing a special counsel in the first place. Garland promised last year that the report would be released upon conclusion of the investigation.
Expect to see news of the release of the report in the very near future.
Wednesday, May 01, 2024
