(Note: As this article was being prepared, even more documents were found in Biden’s inappropriate possession.)
On August 8, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at the Florida residence of former President Donald Trump. At the time, Trump stated “My beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents.” The search was intended to recover documents housed at Trump’s residence that the National Archives claimed did not belong in the former President’s hands.
Apparently, a series of documents labeled “classified” were recovered from Mar-A-Lago pursuant to the search.
Current President Joe Biden wasted no time in criticizing his predecessor. “When it emerged President Trump had so many top secret documents in his possession, Biden asked: ‘…how that could possibly happen? How anyone could be that irresponsible? What data may be in there that may compromise sources and methods?'”
Perhaps Joe Biden never heard the phrase, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
On November 2, 2022, “President Biden’s personal attorneys unexpectedly discover(ed) Obama-Biden administration records at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, and notif(ied) the National Archives.” On December 20, 2022, “Biden’s personal attorneys inspect(ed) (the) garage at the president’s Wilmington (Delaware) home and identif(ied) a ‘small number’ of potential classified records.” Then, on January 11, 2023, “Biden’s personal attorneys search(ed) the president’s homes in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach for additional records. They locate a potential record with classified markings in a room adjacent to the garage.”
The documents recovered from these offices and residences appear to date from Biden’s time as Vice-President.
“People close to the White House say there is currently a mood of quiet resignation among Biden aides – an ‘It is what it is’ mentality – as they, too, wait to learn if news of more misplaced classified documents will surface in the coming days…Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow said the discovery of the classified documents was ‘certainly embarrassing’ for Biden. ‘It’s one of those moments that, obviously, they wish hadn’t happened,’ Stabenow said on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’”
“It is what it is?” “Certainly embarrassing?” “Wish hadn’t happened?”
Compare these understatements from Biden supporters with the rock thrown through Biden’s glass house by Peter Doocy of Fox News after the second batch of documents were found in Biden’s garage – “Classified materials next to your Corvette? What were you thinking?” All Biden could answer was “that the garage had been locked and that he took the proper handling of classified documents seriously.”
Other than Doocy’s direct question, the rest of the media has been very understanding of Biden’s incompetent handling of classified materials. According to “Scott Amey, general counsel for the Project on Government Oversight, ‘I’d bet you that if they go back to all of the living presidents and root through their homes and their libraries and their warehouses and garages, they’re going to unearth some classified documents there’…Such security lapses are a somewhat regular occurrence, according to one former senior security official involved in protecting classified presidential documents under Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama…Mark Zaid, a lawyer who specializes in the handling of classified information, said such lapses date back to World War II or earlier, and are far more common than is known publicly.”
Sure, no big deal! Happens all the time!
But if Biden’s mishandling of classified documents is a routine matter, why was it necessary to use dozens of FBI Agents with a search warrant to recover documents from Donald Trump that “all living presidents” have in their homes, libraries and garages?
According to Sky News, there are three main differences between Trump and Biden’s situations; “Firstly, quantity. Fewer than twelve documents were found at the Penn Biden Center and “a handful” were found in Delaware. More than 160 were found at Mar-a-Lago. This excuse might not hold water: one document in the wrong hands could be one too many. Secondly, location. In relation to the first batch of Biden documents discovered, it’s arguable that a private office-space is distinct from a personal home which doubles as a country club (Mar-a-Lago). But then the second batch was found in President Biden’s garage alongside, as it happens, his Corvette! The key difference between the two cases is intent. It’s not unusual when someone at the top of government leaves office to find cases where documents of a secret nature get mixed up with those of a personal nature.”
All three of these alleged differences cannot withstand scrutiny.
Judge John Wilson (ret.) served on the bench in NYC.
THE ARTICLE CONTINUES TOMORROW
Illustration: Pixabay