Amid a growing controversy concerning the reported discovery of classified documents in multiple locations connected to President Joe Biden, House Republicans have demanded the White House turn over visitor logs for the President’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, one of the locations where Biden’s attorneys found classified documents.
The White House responded Monday morning to the demand, saying that visitor logs for Biden’s Home in Delaware during his years as vice president do not exist.
The White House noted, however, that visitor logs are available from when Biden became president, adding that as a private residence, visitor logs are not required and were not kept by the previous administration.
RTM previously reported that attorneys appointed by Biden found the first batch of classified documents in an office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C., just days before the midterm election in November 2022. Heavy criticism surrounds the decision not to disclose the find until December.
Additional classified documents were found on the premises of Biden’s home on December 20, January 11 and January 12, according to White House counsel Richard Sauber.
President Biden stated he was unaware of the existence of the documents and what information they may contain.
The documents reportedly correlate to Biden’s service as vice president and touch on subjects related to the U.K., Iran, Ukraine and Russia.
Angering Republicans, some of the finds occurred after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declared the search for classified documents had been ‘completed.’
When President Biden was asked during a press conference last Thursday to confirm that classified documents were in a locked garage on his property, he responded, “Yes, as well as my Corvette.”
But as I said earlier this week,” Biden explained, “people know I take classified documents and classified material seriously.”
Over the weekend, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY) demanded the White House release visitor records of Biden’s Wilmington home, noting it was a matter of national security.
“It is troubling that classified documents have been improperly stored at the home of President Biden for at least six years,” said Comer, adding that this raises “questions about who may have reviewed or had access to classified information.”
The White House has minimized the significance of the absence of visitor logs, saying:
“Like every President in decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal,” the White House Counsel’s office told Fox News.
“But upon taking office, President Biden restored the norm and tradition of keeping White House visitors logs, including publishing them regularly, after the previous administration ended them.”
The U.S. Secret Service has confirmed it does not track visitors to Biden’s personal residence, though agents are assigned to guard the home.
An excerpt from Comer’s demand letter to White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain reads:
“Additionally, President Biden’s personal attorneys, who do not possess security clearances, and White House staff continue to access and search the President’s residence in Wilmington, Delaware for classified documents.”
Comer added: “Given the serious national security implications, the White House must provide the Wilmington residence’s visitor log.”
Former President Donald Trump, whose home in Florida Mar-a-Lago was raided last summer by more than 30 FBI agents searching for reported classified documents, responded via a post on Truth Social:
“The White House just announced that there are no LOGS or information of any kind on visitors to the Wilmington house and flimsy, unlocked, and unsecured, but now very famous, garage. Maybe they are smarter than we think!”
Trump added: “This is one of seemingly many places where HIGHLY CLASSIFIED documents are stored (in a big pile on the damp floor),” Trump said. “Mar-a-Lago is a highly secured facility, with Security Cameras all over the place, and watched over by staff & our great Secret Service. I have INFO on everyone!”
Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed U.S. Attorney Robert Hur to serve as special counsel to investigate President Biden’s handling of classified material.
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