By Trend News Line 2024-02-12 13:26:15.
Title: Special Counsel Report Reveals New Details on Politicians’ Retention of Classified Information
Subtitle: Report provides insights into President Biden’s memory and practice of sharing private information with ghostwriters
Washington, D.C. – Special Counsel Robert Hur’s comprehensive 400-page report on the classified documents retained by President Joe Biden after leaving office has shed light on the reasons behind politicians ending up with sensitive information post-tenure. The report also explores Biden’s practice of sharing private information with a ghostwriter, a common trend among high-profile individuals seeking to publish books without personally writing them.
The report encompasses an executive summary, 17 chapters, a conclusion, and three appendices, totaling 388 pages. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Hur as the special counsel in January 2023. Hur, who previously led the prosecutor’s office in Maryland, joined the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher law firm in 2021. Despite Hur declining to recommend criminal charges against Biden, the report includes several noteworthy details, particularly concerning the President’s memory.
According to the report, one reason prosecutors refrained from bringing charges against Biden was their belief that he would present himself as a sympathetic elderly man with a poor memory. The report highlights instances where Biden failed to recall significant events during the special counsel’s interview, including the date of his son’s passing and details about the Afghanistan debate. Biden strongly objected to these assertions during a press conference, denouncing the report’s treatment of his memory.
In response to the report, Special Counsel to the President Richard Sauber and Bob Bauer, Biden’s personal counsel, penned a letter to the special counsel, disputing the characterization of Biden’s memory loss. They argued that Biden’s difficulty recalling events from years ago was commonplace and should not be considered evidence of guilt.
The report also draws attention to the precedent set by former President Ronald Reagan, who retained classified diaries at his California home after leaving office. The Department of Justice did not investigate Reagan for mishandling classified information or retrieve his diaries, further supporting Biden’s claim that past presidents have similarly held onto sensitive materials.
Additionally, the report delves into Biden’s interactions with his ghostwriter, revealing that he shared sensitive information during intelligence briefings and White House meetings. The report expresses concern over the practice of retaining classified material in unsecured locations and reading classified information to ghostwriters, highlighting potential risks to national security.
The report concludes by detailing recovered evidence, including deleted recordings of conversations with the ghostwriter. While some portions of the files remain missing, the ghostwriter voluntarily provided preserved transcripts and devices containing the recordings.
The appendices provide an extensive list of documents found in Biden’s office and home, including top-secret memos discussing Russian aggression toward Ukraine, documents related to the war in Afghanistan, and biographies of foreign delegates.
The release of the report has sparked debates about the retention of classified information by politicians and the potential risks it poses to national security..
– Special counsel’s report on Biden and classified documents
– Five big takeaways from the special counsel’s report on Biden and classified documents.
