On Wednesday, Fox News’ Peter Doocy pressed John Kirby, the National Security Council strategic communications coordinator, at the White House press briefing after press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to engage.
Doocy asked Kirby about the difficulty involved in exiting government facilities with classified materials after it was revealed that President Joe Biden possessed multiple sets of classified docs in his personal office and home. Biden is now under investigation by special counsel Robert Hur.
In response, Kirby broke down how a government official is required to handle classified information inside a skiff.
“Everybody who goes into a skiff knows what the requirements are to go in and knows you can’t bring personal devices in and you certainly can’t leave with material unless that material is appropriately secured,” Kirby responded.
“And usually what happens to someone in the chain of command if they do leave with classified material that they’re not supposed to have or that is not secure?” Doocy asked.
“If you do it inadvertently or you realize you don’t have it secured in a locked bag, you self-report, which is exactly what the president did, self-reported,” said Kirby. “But you self-report and you make sure that you get the material back securely where it belongs and that you’re transparent about it.”
Watch:
Kirby-Answers-Doocy-s-Question-On-Biden-Classified-Docs-After-Karine-Refuses
Biden’s personal counsel discovered approximately 10 documents which were marked as classified inside the Penn Biden Center. This would lead to searches of his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where classified documents were found in Biden’s garage during one search, and more have been found throughout January 2023.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has repeatedly referred reporters to the White House Counsel’s Office, which is assisting investigations and releasing information about the case, and the Department of Justice, who is actively investigating.
Doocy has been responsible for a significant amount of pressure on Jean-Pierre throughout the investigation. During Tuesday’s briefing, Doocy asked Jean-Pierre a series of questions related to the documents, which Jean-Pierre deflected, repeatedly referring him to the White House Counsel’s Office after Doocy asked about Biden’s actions in his home following the discovery of the documents and asking if it would hurt the president’s chances of reelection in 2024.
He previously asked how Biden could be “that irresponsible” with handling classified material, citing Biden’s own words regarding the discovery of classified documents in former President Donald Trump’s Florida home. The press secretary said the president takes classified information “very seriously” and that he rightfully turned the documents over to the National Archives and Records Administration to be reviewed by the DOJ.
“He had a closet with classified information in it that they found,” Doocy argued at the Jan. 11 briefing. “How did it get there? Did the lawyers do the right thing?”
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