President Joe Biden has been in turmoil at the start of the year since top-secret government documents were found in his former office in Washington.
Following these discoveries, the Republican official of the House Intelligence Committee asked US intelligence to conduct a “damage assessment” of potentially classified documents discovered in the offices of the President.
In response, President Biden said his attorneys did what they should have done by immediately calling the National Archives about their discovery. A look back at an incredible story…
How was the discovery made?
The documents were discovered by Mr Biden’s lawyers when his office moved.
The latter immediately notified the National Archives, which is responsible for keeping the files and objects of the president.
They are in the process of assessing the quantity of documents found and determining whether they contain classified information or other sensitive documents.
What could that mean?
The discovery of these defense-classified documents is particularly worrying for the United States because it could potentially cause an attack on national security.
Indeed, such documents usually contain sensitive information that could be used by foreign actors to pressure the United States.
Response from President Biden and other officials
President Biden said he was surprised at the discovery of documents in his former office, but he and his team also took steps to address the issue.
Biden’s attorneys immediately called the National Archives about their findings, and the president himself said none of the documents discovered contained classified information.
He said it was mostly a collection of newspaper articles, photographs and other memorabilia from his time as vice president under President Barack Obama.
In response to calls from Republicans for an intelligence review of the documents, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that “the White House takes these requests seriously,” adding that it is important to ensure that no sensitive information has been compromised.
The documents will therefore be scrupulously studied. To be continued…
