{"id":607906,"date":"2024-02-09T02:39:43","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T23:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/5-takeaways-from-special-counsel-report-on-bidens-classified-documents\/"},"modified":"2024-02-09T02:39:43","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T23:39:43","slug":"5-takeaways-from-special-counsel-report-on-bidens-classified-documents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-takeaways-from-special-counsel-report-on-bidens-classified-documents\/","title":{"rendered":"#5 takeaways from special counsel report on Biden\u2019s classified documents"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dfb3aaf942\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dfb3aaf942\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-takeaways-from-special-counsel-report-on-bidens-classified-documents\/#Biden_retained_docs_of_%E2%80%98great_personal_significance_to_him\" >Biden retained docs of \u2018great personal significance to him\u2019<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-takeaways-from-special-counsel-report-on-bidens-classified-documents\/#Biden_World_accuses_Hur_of_overstepping\" >Biden World accuses Hur of overstepping<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-takeaways-from-special-counsel-report-on-bidens-classified-documents\/#Hur_describes_Biden_as_%E2%80%98elderly_man_with_a_poor_memory\" >Hur describes Biden as \u2018elderly man with a poor memory\u2019<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-takeaways-from-special-counsel-report-on-bidens-classified-documents\/#Hur_said_prosecutors_faced_serious_roadblocks_to_scoring_a_potential_conviction\" >Hur said prosecutors faced serious roadblocks to scoring a potential conviction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/5-takeaways-from-special-counsel-report-on-bidens-classified-documents\/#Republicans_seize_on_report\" >Republicans seize on report\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/02\/bidenjoe_020124ar03_w.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A special counsel investigating President Biden\u2019s handling of classified materials released his findings Thursday after a roughly yearlong investigation.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Hur\u2019s 388-page report detailed how Biden \u201cwillfully\u201d retained classified documents, and it offered a stark assessment of the 81-year-old\u2019s memory and abilities to recall information. The special counsel concluded his investigation without bringing any charges.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>The documents were discovered at an office previously used by Biden, igniting a later search of his home.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to handwritten notes he took while in office, authorities collected 90 documents from his property, of which a little more than 50 contained classified markings.<\/p>\n<p>Here are five takeaways on the report.<\/p>\n<div class=\"nlp-ignore-block article-content rich-text\">\n<aside class=\"promo-link\">\n        READ: Special counsel report on Biden\u2019s classified documents<br \/>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Biden_retained_docs_of_%E2%80%98great_personal_significance_to_him\"><\/span>Biden retained docs of \u2018great personal significance to him\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Hur describes Biden as being someone who viewed himself as \u201ca man of presidential timber\u201d who \u201ccollected papers and artifacts related to significant issues and events in his career.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Among the records kept by Biden were his handwritten notes, as well as records related to the Obama administration\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach to Afghanistan, which he feared could turn into another Vietnam.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Biden\u2019s views endured sharp criticism from others within and outside of the administration. But he always believed history would prove him right,\u201d Hur observed.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThese materials were proof of the stand Mr. Biden took in what he regarded as among the most important decisions of his vice presidency,\u201d the report states.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Biden also viewed his notes as his own property, reflections on his career that he also relied on while speaking to a ghostwriter who helped him with his book.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDuring our interview of him, Mr. Biden was emphatic, declaring that his notebooks are \u2018my property\u2019 and that \u2018every president before me has done the exact same thing,\u2019\u201d Hur wrote, noting that Biden cited the diaries that President Reagan kept in his private home after leaving office, which also included classified information.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>The report also accuses Biden of on three instances improperly reading from his notebook about events or issues relating to classified information.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Biden_World_accuses_Hur_of_overstepping\"><\/span>Biden World accuses Hur of overstepping<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Biden issued a statement following the report\u2019s release, emphasizing he cooperated with the investigation and \u201cthrew up no roadblocks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the response from others in his orbit was less restrained and laid bare the frustration Biden\u2019s allies had with Hur\u2019s decision to discuss the president\u2019s memory at length.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>White House special counsel Richard Sauber and Biden\u2019s personal attorney Bob Bauer wrote to Hur on Monday,\u00a0calling his description of Biden\u2019s memory \u201cgratuitous\u201d and asking him to revise his language.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is one thing to observe President Biden\u2019s memory as being \u2018significantly limited\u2019 on certain subjects. It is quite another to use the more sweeping and highly prejudicial language employed later in the report,\u201d the two wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Bauer, in a statement released Thursday, accused Hur of \u201cinvestigative excess\u201d and flouting Justice Department regulations around special counsel investigations.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cVery little in this opus adds to a clear, succinctly stated understanding of a straightforward conclusion: no misconduct occurred, no charges are warranted,\u201d Bauer wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House counsel\u2019s office, called the criticisms of Biden\u2019s memory \u201cinaccurate, gratuitous and wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The frustration was reminiscent of October 2016, when Democrats accused then-FBI Director James Comey of overstepping his duties and tipping the scales in the election between Hillary Clinton and former President Trump.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hur_describes_Biden_as_%E2%80%98elderly_man_with_a_poor_memory\"><\/span>Hur describes Biden as \u2018elderly man with a poor memory\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The top-line determination that Biden would not face charges was quickly displaced by another prominent thread in Hur\u2019s report: that the\u00a0president frequently had memory issues\u00a0during discussions with the ghostwriter of his memoir and with federal investigators.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,\u201d Hur wrote. \u201cBased on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone for whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt. It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him \u2014 by then a former president well into his eighties \u2014 of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hur wrote that Biden\u2019s memory \u201cwas significantly limited, both during his recorded interviews with the ghostwriter in 2017, and in his interview with our office in 2023.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>The special counsel wrote that Biden \u201cdid not remember when he was vice president,\u201d forgetting at one point when his term ended, and in another instance forgetting when his term began. Hur reported Biden did not remember when his son Beau had died, and his memory \u201cappeared hazy\u201d when speaking about a debate over Afghanistan that was critical to his memoirs.<\/p>\n<p>Hur\u2019s frequent references to Biden\u2019s memory will likely rile the White House, which is already grappling with voter concerns about the president\u2019s age amid a reelection campaign. Biden is 81 and would be 86 at the end of a potential second term.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hur_said_prosecutors_faced_serious_roadblocks_to_scoring_a_potential_conviction\"><\/span>Hur said prosecutors faced serious roadblocks to scoring a potential conviction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While Hur\u2019s comments about Biden\u2019s age and memory will no doubt sting on the campaign trail, the special counsel\u2019s rationale for not bringing charges rests both on the law and Biden\u2019s ability to cast doubt on claims he intentionally kept the records.<\/p>\n<p>The Espionage Act prohibits \u201cwillful\u201d retention of national defense information, placing a burden on prosecutors to show violators kept documents intentionally.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a task made more difficult given that Biden alerted authorities to his possession of the documents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis cooperation with our investigation, including by reporting to the government that the Afghanistan documents were in his Delaware garage, will likely convince some jurors that he made an innocent mistake, rather than acting willfully\u00a0\u2014\u00a0that is, with intent to break the law \u2014 as the statute requires,\u201d Hur wrote.<\/p>\n<p>But there were also other factors that backed Biden\u2019s stance that he was unaware the records were in his home.<\/p>\n<p>The Afghanistan documents were \u201cin Mr. Biden\u2019s Delaware garage\u00a0\u2014\u00a0in a badly damaged box surrounded by household detritus,\u201d Hur said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeveral defenses are likely to create reasonable doubt as to such charges,\u201d Hur wrote, making clear he feared a jury would not be comfortable with a guilty verdict.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Republicans_seize_on_report\"><\/span>Republicans seize on report\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While Hur cleared Biden of criminal wrongdoing, Republicans still found plenty to highlight in the report.<\/p>\n<p>The special counsel\u2019s repeated criticisms of Biden\u2019s memory were a gift to Republicans with Election Day less than nine months away and polls showing many voters already concerned about Biden\u2019s ability to serve a second term.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA man too incapable of being held accountable for mishandling classified information is certainly unfit for the Oval Office,\u201d members of House GOP leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re too senile to stand trial, then you\u2019re too senile to be president. Joe Biden is unfit to lead this nation,\u201d Alex Pfeiffer, communications director for the pro-Trump super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Trump himself seized on Hur\u2019s findings to try and argue his own criminal charges for retaining classified materials after leaving office were no longer legitimate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is 100 times more severe. This is two standards of justice and it has to end in our country,\u201d Trump told Fox <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> Digital. \u201cDeranged Jack Smith should drop the case im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely against us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump is facing a total of 40 charges in Florida based on his retention and handling of classified materials after leaving office. Prosecutors allege he willfully retained national defense information and obstructed the government\u2019s attempt to retrieve the documents. Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/4457207-biden-classified-documents-report-takeaways\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A special counsel investigating President Biden\u2019s handling of classified materials released his findings Thursday after a roughly yearlong investigation. Robert Hur\u2019s 388-page report detailed how Biden \u201cwillfully\u201d retained classified documents, and it offered a stark assessment of the 81-year-old\u2019s memory and abilities to recall information. The special counsel concluded his investigation without bringing any charges&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":607907,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/02\/bidenjoe_020124ar03_w.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134344,138357,138728,134343,134661,73014,90482,138508,20822,991,40445,139592,72798],"class_list":["post-607906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-administration","tag-biden-classified-documents","tag-bob-bauer","tag-campaign","tag-energy-environment","tag-health-care","tag-house","tag-ian-sams","tag-james-comey","tag-joe-biden","tag-media","tag-mike-johnson","tag-special-counsel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/607906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=607906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/607906\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/607907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=607906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=607906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=607906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}