What Biden has said before about his classified documents probe

Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on February 8, 2024

(WASHINGTON) — As the report of a special counsel investigation into classified documents found at locations associated with President Joe Biden became public Thursday, here’s what he has said about the matter before now.

Jan. 10, 2023 — President Biden said he was “surprised” to learn that there were any government records at his Penn Biden Center office in Washington, D.C., which he used after leaving as vice president, adding, “I don’t know what’s in the documents.”

Jan. 12, 2023 — Biden spoke about the documents found in the garage at his Wilmington, Delaware, home and said he was complying with the Department of Justice.

A reporter asked Biden about the documents:

Q: Mr. President, classified — classified material next to your Corvette. What were you thinking?

BIDEN: Let me — they’re — I’m going to get a chance to speak on all this, God willing, soon, but as I said earlier this week, people — and, by the way, my Corvette is in a locked garage. OK? So, it’s not like they’re sitting out in the street. But at any rate —

Q: So, the material was in a locked garage?

BIDEN: Yes, as well as my Corvette.

But as I said earlier this week, people know I take classified documents and classified material seriously. I also said we’re cooperating fully and completely with the Justice Department’s review.

As part of that process, my lawyers reviewed other places where documents might of — from my time as vice president were stored. And they finished the review last night.

They discovered a small number of documents with classified markings in storage areas and in file cabinets in my home and my — and my — in my personal library. This was done in the case of the Biden Penn — this was done in the case of the Biden Penn Center.

The Department of Justice was immediately — as was done, the Department of Justice was immediately … notified, and the lawyers arranged for the Department of Justice to take possession of the document.

Jan. 19, 2023 — At the end of remarks on extreme weather, in Aptos, California, reporters shouted questions at Biden, who said he had “no regrets” and that “there is no there there.”

Q: Mr. President, may I ask you a question about the classified documents, sir? Do you have any regret — regret, sir?

BIDEN: You know, the only — I will answer the question, but here’s the deal: You know, what quite frankly bugs me is that we have a serious problem here we’re talking about. We’re talking about what’s going on. And the American people don’t quite understand why you don’t ask me questions about that.But having said that, what’s your question?

Q: Do you have any regret, sir, that you did not reveal the existence of the documents back in November, before the midterms?

BIDEN: Just hang on, OK? Look, as we found — we found a handful of documents that were failed — were filed in the wrong place. We immediately turned them over to the Archives and the Justice Department. We’re fully cooperating and looking forward to getting this resolved quickly.I think you’re going to find there’s nothing there. I have no regrets. I’m following what the lawyers have told me they want me to do. It’s exactly what we’re doing. There is no there there.