Special counsel Robert Hur’s testimony on Capitol Hill on Tuesday shed light on a significant revelation regarding President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents. Hur confirmed that Biden was aware of possessing classified materials from his time in the Obama administration years before he eventually turned them over in late 2022.
During a crucial exchange with Congressman Tom McClintock, Hur disclosed details about an audio recording capturing Biden’s acknowledgment to his ghostwriter in February 2017 that he had come across boxes of classified materials in his basement. This statement directly contradicted Biden’s earlier denial of sharing unauthorized information with the ghostwriter.
McClintock asked, “So you have audio recording from his ghostwriter where the president acknowledges that the information he has is classified and he’s sharing it with this ghostwriter?”
Hur responded, “We have an audio recording capturing a statement from Mr. Biden saying to his ghostwriter in February of 2017, ‘I just found all the classified stuff downstairs.'”
The exchange between Hur and McClintock was juxtaposed with Biden’s previous denial of sharing classified information with the ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer. This contradiction, highlighted by the X campaign account for President Donald Trump, raised questions about Biden’s credibility and adherence to lawful procedures regarding classified materials.
Democrats have generally maintained that Biden complied with National Archives requests to return the classified materials, contrasting it with Trump’s alleged disregard for similar requests. However, the revelation of Biden’s denials about unlawfully sharing classified information now poses a challenge to his image as a law-abiding incumbent, particularly in comparison to a more reckless rival.
Hur’s testimony followed significant pressure from Democrats to elucidate passages in his report describing Biden’s state of mind while possessing the documents. Hur characterized Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly old man with a poor memory,” suggesting that a jury would likely not convict him. While the evidence presented by Hur may not reignite a national discussion over Biden’s age, it underscores the ongoing scrutiny surrounding his handling of classified materials.
