- Joe Biden has been questioned by a special investigator.
- It concerns confidential documents that were discovered in his former office and in his private home.
- According to the White House, Biden volunteered to be interviewed.
“The voluntary survey was conducted at the White House on two days, Sunday and Monday, and concluded on Monday,” the White House said on Monday (local time). As stated from the outset, the President and the White House would cooperate in the investigation. To the extent that it was appropriate, “relevant information was made publicly available”. Biden was questioned by special investigator Robert Hur.
The case is politically extremely sensitive for Biden, as his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who is struggling legally on several fronts, caused a scandal with a similar case. The Republican is accused of illegally storing highly sensitive information from his time as US President in private rooms. The Federal Police FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago property in August 2022 and confiscated various classified information there. Trump pleaded not guilty at the arraignment in Miami in June. The trial is scheduled to start on May 20, 2024.
Although at first glance the cases of Trump and Biden are very similar, there are important differences. According to Biden’s team, they immediately reported the discoveries to the National Archives and passed on the documents.
Unlike Biden’s case, Trump’s case was preceded by a dispute with the National Archives. It tried unsuccessfully for months to get papers from Trump during his time in office. Trump’s team finally handed over documents to the National Archives – but not all of them, as the sensational FBI search in August 2022 revealed.