Below is my column at Fox.com on the most recent discovery of classified documents at one of the homes of President Joe Biden. Despite the latest discovery, allies like Sen. Chris Coons were on Sunday shows repeating his assurance that “there is no there there.” The insistence that the record clearly shows innocent “inadvertence” now borders on willful blindness as inadvertent possession occurs over and over again with documents from both Biden’s time as a senator and as vice president. A decade of inadvertence.
Here is the column:
President Biden seems to attract classified documents the way some people think motor homes attract tornadoes. They just inexplicably happen.
After Biden publicly declared that he has “no regrets” in the discovery of unlawfully stored classified material in various locations, he assured citizens that the special counsel investigation would soon peter out when they find that “there is no there there.”
Well, there turns out to be more there and the “there” is yet another find in a private residence of Joe Biden.
A search of Biden’s home in Wilmington on Friday found six new clearly marked classified documents, bringing the total to roughly 30 classified documents. The latest search came almost three months after the first discovery in a closet in a D.C. office.
Yet, the president and White House still maintain that all of these documents are merely the result of “inadvertent mishandling” and that Biden has no knowledge of their storage over the prior roughly six years. There is a point when “inadvertence” becomes so incredible as to be miraculous.
At the start of this scandal, I questioned the inadvertence claim in light of one simple fact. These classified documents were presumably removed in 2017 and yet they were divided and distributed to different locations. Those locations have now increased to at least four: the closet, garage, library, and the new location at the Wilmington residence. That suggests that they were transferred more than once and sent to different locations for a purpose.
The most obvious purpose is that Biden was working on a book that discussed some of the underlying subject matters like China and Ukraine. However, Biden insists that he never had knowledge or interaction with the documents.
In other words, these documents just miraculously seem to appear in every spot where Biden worked or lived over the last 10 years. He possessed them with no knowledge or intent. It is the immaculate possession . . . over and over again.
The use of FBI agents for this latest search stands in sharp contrast to prior searches and magnifies earlier questions of why the FBI reportedly declined an invitation to conduct the searches.
There is still no confirmation of where the documents were found in the residence or their level of classification.
The latest batch of documents easily establishes “gross mishandling” of classified material, the standard being investigated by the special counsel. The only question is who is responsible and President Biden portrays himself as a mere pedestrian “surprised” over and over again by the discovery of classified documents in his home. He is fast becoming the Claude Rains of presidents in feigning shock that there is handling of classified material in this establishment.
Biden’s worst critic, however, may be Biden.
In 1977, as senator from Delaware, Biden torpedoed President Jimmy Carter’s nominee for CIA director over his alleged mishandling of classified documents. As with the current scandal, Ted Sorensen was accused of having the documents for work on a book. The motive did not matter. Sen. Biden expressed his signature revulsion at the very thought of the possession.
President Jimmy Carter at the White House, April 7, 1980. (Library of Congress/Marion S. Trikosko/Handout via Reuters)
There was no evidence of ill intent, but Biden insisted that was not the issue. Biden argued that Sorensen could still be prosecuted under the Espionage Act and insisted the “real issue” during Sorensen’s confirmation hearing was “whether Mr. Sorensen intentionally took advantage of ambiguities in the law, or carelessly ignored the law.”
After all, Biden continued, “If he did so, can he now bring the activities of the intelligence community within the strict limits of the law? We will expect that in the future of intelligence agencies. If that is to be the case, then we must hold the director – DCI – accountable as well.”
Notably, some of the recently discovered classified documents may have been from Biden’s time as a senator — over ten years ago.
I have previously noted that Biden “has always been better at expressing revulsion than responsibility.” When it came to Sorensen, Biden could not imagine a rationalization for a nominee to excuse such mishandling of classified material, but as a president, “there is no there there.”
Biden has continued to make the case against himself with remarkable determination. His defense that some documents were housed in his “locked garage with my Corvette” may go down as one of the most imbecilic statements in modern political history. He then followed up with his “no regrets” comments (and his assurance of “no there there”) just before more classified documents were found “there.”
While special counsel do not mind defendants making fools of themselves, they do not want to join them in such public spectacles. In this investigation, the Biden defense is looking increasingly implausible in his claim of no knowledge or responsibility.
Indeed, if any witness or forensic evidence shows that Biden came into contact with any of these documents over the last 10 years, this dubious defense will take on a far more sinister appearance. It would establish not just intent and knowledge, but an effort to deceive the public and prosecutors.
Yet, even after the latest batch was found, Biden and allies like Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., are continuing to maintain that “there is no there there.” These continuing denials now border on willful blindness and the public reaction is likely to echo the president’s favorite tagline: “Come on, man.”
Now that it has been demonstrated that Biden’s lawyers search cannot be trusted DoJ/FBI also needs to search the U Penn records, wherever their there now is, and the Rehoboth house too.
Remember Spiro T. Agnew, gotta dump Kamala first.
Here’s a question. Why did the FBI delay its search of the myriad locations where Joe “Mr. 10 Percent” Biden stored top secret documents?
Perhaps there were other documents that the FBI might not want to see. It would be really embarrassing if the world learned that the FBI had other incriminating documents in their possession from the search. Analogous to the incriminating information on Hunter’s laptop. Could it be that the delay allowed Biden’s lawyers to cull the materials for embarrassing or incriminating information before they were searched by the FBI?
Determining the scope of an investigation is a critical first step in any investigation. Did Garland, the DOJ and the FBI take use extra time to carefully and narrowly scope the FBI investigation of Mr. 10 Percent? In contrast the unbelievably broad investigations of Mr. Trump?
Here’s another way to think about it. What was the FBI’s project name for the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails? Mid-Year Exam. Their name for the Russiagate investigation into Mr. Trump? Crossfire Hurricane. Sometimes names and words reveal attitudes. Imagine you’re an FBI agent. Which project would you rather spend your time on?
Perhaps we are all missing the obvious. Old Joe really had no clue as to those documents. He gave them to Hunter years ago and forgot about it. Hunter has been selling them to China and Russia in small tranches ever since. The document stash they just found was Hunter’s inventory.
The only tactical way the Dems and the media can work this now is to “blame” Biden for bad optics and bad handling of the PR surrounding the documents. They, or most of them, will not admit that this is criminal activity, they will just say that Trump is worse and that Biden is honest and he is just making a public relations error regarding an honest mistake.
Hullbobby – slowly even that narrative is dying.
It is my understanding more docs were found today.
Further it has been reported that the Biden Center Docs were stored somewhere in ChinaTown in DC before going to the Biden center.
The Senate Docs make a search of the Udel archives likely.
The last batch of Docs was found by the FBI – AFTER Biden’s lawyers searched.
So I am expecting the FBI/DOJ will be less accomodating on future searches.
And finally – Obama is being proved right, Don’t underestimate Joes ability to F#$K things up.
John Say, why do you think more documents were found today?
Because I saw half a dozen news reports on RCP and Youtube.
Today is 1/23/2022. I doubt that you can cite any news report that says more documents were found on 1/23.
Items were found in a consensual FBI search on Friday, 1/20, and people are still reporting about that.
On a post originally made on Sunday or the wee hours of Monday morning. You want to argue whether news articles that first appeared on Saturday or Sunday are Today ?
Keep arguing about what “today” is – and soon enough it will be june and they reports will definitely not be “today”.
What is self evident at this time is that it is nearly 3 months since the first Biden classified docs were found – and they are STILL being found.
There are two possibilties – both of which are likely true.
The search was not very thorough – we know many more docs were found by the FBI in places that had been searched a week or more ago.
The classified docs are sprayed all over the place. Which means it is STILL unlikely we have seen the last of this.
More recently we found Docs from Biden’s time int he Seante – that pretty much requires searching Biden’s Udel senate archives – as well as many other places Biden docs might have been in the past 50 years.
It has also been reported that the VP Docs were stored somewhere in ChinaTown before being moved to Biden Center.
Another place they were not allowed to be.
Also problematic because GSA is not supposed to move potentially classified docs to locations that are not SCIF’s.
As I understand it, there’s some reason why these records have to be moved out of the Penn center. If that is true, why isn’t it simply a matter of hiring a moving company to move them? Why did it take one or more of biden’s personal attorneys to do this moving? Is the assumption that these materials were commingled with someone else’s stuff and that it had to be separated by a member of the bar before it could be moved? This seems odd, and unusually expensive unless these folks are charging an hourly rate less than a moving company.
I have a lot more questions regarding control numbers and accounting of documents, and why this wasn’t noticed earlier. In most places, and perhaps in all places, inventory of classified material must be performed on a periodic such as annually. Or all of these documents a judge to be missing? Somebody’s accountable for all of these documents (assuming they had control numbers).
The notes which may or may not have been properly marked, which have been discovered in this most recent tranche, also raise a lot of questions. For instance working papers must be brought under control or destroyed. How did all of this get missed?
Obama and Susan Rice want Biden out of the picture for the 2024 primaries.
With the discovery of classified material from Biden’s Senate years at his home the massive archive of his senatorial records that U of Delaware has been jealously guarding must be searched by DoJ.
Lefty, that is a very good point!
Interesting tweet this evening by Jack Posobiec:
“Sure would be a shame if those classified Biden documents at his house contained troop movements from OEF/OIF
I mention this for no reason whatsoever of course
Hi, DCSA”
The most obvious purpose is that Biden was working on a book that discussed some of the underlying subject matters like China and Ukraine. However, Biden insists that he never had knowledge or interaction with
the documents.Hunter’s business ventures.Now we know not only is he lying, but why he’s lying. It involves a direct connection to China and Ukraine.
On another note; is anyone else concerned we have public servants using TS/SCI material to personally profit by writing books? What the he!! Is he getting out of those documents that could be made public?
The apologists for Biden (who are also the fiercest critics of Trump) have used two defenses so far: “inadvertance” as to existence of the documents; and “full co-operation” with the DOJ. The apologists don’t recognize that the second defense is undermined by the first. Full co-operation with the DOJ requires not only a complete listing of all the purloined documents, and their current wherabouts, but also a complete itinerary of their journey in the six years since he took them. Claiming that he “doesn’t know” or “just forgot” does not fulfill his duty to protect this country.
How did this become a forum on the war in Ukraine?
“some of the recently discovered classified documents may have been from Biden’s time aas a senator — over ten years ago..”
this is why the 2,000 cubic feet of records he deposited/donated to the U of Delaware need to be reviewed. no telling what is in the boxes
Why do you say “Biden’s activity as a senator . . . over 10 years ago”? Didn’t Biden leave the Senate in 2009? That would be 14 years, no?
Good point, but OTOH 14 years ago is over 10 years ago so the Prof is technically correct.
I guess I could say the Declaration of Independence was written over 10 years ago and I’d technically be correct too.
After the mass shooting in California, I’ve come to realize that we must take a stand against white racism.
“AVOID INJURIOUS TENDENCIES”
Let’s see what the American Founders realized.
______________________________________
“The influx of foreigners must, therefore, tend to produce a heterogeneous compound; to change and corrupt the national spirit; to complicate and confound public opinion; to introduce foreign propensities. In the composition of society, the harmony of the ingredients is all-important, and whatever tends to a discordant intermixture must have an injurious tendency.”
– Alexander Hamilton
_________________
Naturalization Acts of 1790, 1795, 1798 and 1802
United States Congress, “An act to establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization,” March 26, 1790
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That any Alien being a free white person, who shall have resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for the term of two years, may be admitted to become a citizen thereof…
The Asians killed in CA were killed by an Asian…
Still white supremacist.
Over my 30 year career I’ve handled these types of documents. There is no power on earth that will convince me that their possession can be “oops, my bad.” Such documents have borders indicating that they’re T/S or above. They also have T/S stamped on them in large black letters. A closet, desk, or locked garage next to the ‘vet’ do not rise to secure storage.
I am surprised that there was no tracking system for these documents. Also why wasn’t there a security official to account for the documents?
Presuming that I had mishandled T/S documents, I’d bee in a federal prison.
Absolutely right. Every page is marked, top and bottom, and there’s a colored cover sheet on every document. Control numbers are included on every document and are used for periodic accountability inspections. Since these documents are apparently adrift, whom by name was responsible for gun decking the records?
My local public library can tell me when a book is overdue but the White House can control TS/SCI documents? Some deliberate override of the system seems to be going on here.
I meant can’t. Sorry!
Individuals with demential sometimes have lucid intervals. The trouble with Biden’s lucid intervals (if there are any) is that during such times he reveals himself to be so morally repugnant that we want them to end as fast as possible and get back to just plain demented.
Claude Rains was a great actor and nearly perfect in Casablanca. I feel sure he would have been offended by any comparison to the present POTUS. Otherwise I have no difficulties with the professor’s column.
Biden — or more likely a staffer — must have been listening to Piaf songs. “Non, je ne regrette rien.”
Edith Piaf! Good for you, Lysias! (I have some old records of her, 78s or thick discs, bought to complement an antique ((crank wind-up)) Edison Victrola)
(sorry, I’ve been indoors all week with bad weather blues..no little sparrows out there. One whole week,– the longest I’ve ever visited this site). I’ll try to get back on topic….
lin…..OT…..We have a crank up Victrola too, that still plays 78’s….as well as a crank up cylinder phonograph Victrola that plays the old cylinders. Finding good needles is the only problem……they have to be the right size.
Biden clearly has a Claude Rains fixation. Lately it’s the ‘Casablanca’ persona. During the 2020 campaign, it was ‘The Invisible Man’ hidden in his basement. And then there’s the father in ‘The Wolf Man’ trying to deal with a son who has irresistible impulses.
I wish the kids who got blown up in the disgraceful bugout from Afghanistan got this much interest from the press. But that was still the honeymoon phase of Biden regime before the Democrats realized the 2020 election was a pyrrhic victory. I’m going to enjoy watching Biden miraculously get the nomination and miraculously win in 2024. Maybe then we’ll start to take election integrity seriously.
Update on FTX Case:
FTX Judge Backs Firm’s Lawyers, Rejects Last-Minute ‘Rumors’ (1)
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/crypto/ftx-judge-backs-company-law-firm-rejecting-last-minute-rumors
Recall:
Sam Bankman-Fried donated over $40 million in the 2022 election cycle. Where did it go?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ftx-sam-bankman-fried-political-donations-2022/
BETCHA – The Judicial Bench cover-up will come via a Sealed Case.
Uh? What? Did someone ask for an update on the FTX case or did Biden also have FTX documents in his possession? Please clarify for me. Thank you in advance!
The donations figure is now up to 70+M
Inadvertent authoritarianism: deep state spooks can plant any contraband any place they find convenient for destabilizing a regime, just as Biden had authorized against select targets while on the Senate foreign relations committee. Poetic justice, darkly.