A presidential lawyer said Wednesday that FBI agents are searching a beach house owned by Joe Biden as part of an investigation into possible mishandling of classified documents.
Bob Bauer, Mr. Biden’s personal attorney, said: “Today, with the full support and cooperation of the President, the Department of Justice [Department of Justice] conducts a routine search of his home in Rehoboth, Delaware.
“In accordance with standard Department of Justice procedures, in the interest of operational security and integrity, it sought to complete this work without prior public notice, and we agreed to cooperate.”
It was the latest upset for Biden as he prepared to launch his campaign later this month.
He previously denounced his predecessor Donald Trump for irresponsibility after classified documents were found at his Florida home.
“Today’s search is another step in the Justice Department’s thorough and timely process, which we will continue to fully support and facilitate. We will have more information at the end of today’s search,” Mr Bauer said.
The White House has previously said no classified documents were found at the Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the FBI discovered any additional classified documents on Wednesday.
During his presidency, Biden spent many weekends at his $2.7 million six-bedroom beach house.
He was not there last weekend, instead he decided to go to the President’s residence at Camp David in Maryland.
The search followed a 13-hour full search of Mr. Biden’s other home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Jan. 20.
In this case, the agents found additional documents with secret notes, and also took possession of some of his handwritten notes.
In November, the FBI raided the offices of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement after classified documents were found there.
There were no comments from the FBI or the Department of Justice.
Jonathan Turley, a constitutional lawyer, said: “The White House is in free fall.
“They took a position of not answering questions.”
He added: “These [documents] have been there for 14 or more years. Any knowledge during this period will indicate the intention to keep these documents. This is a very serious matter.”
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has already appointed Special Counsel Robert Hur to investigate Mr. Biden’s handling of classified material relating to his tenure as vice president between 2009 and 2017.
Mr. Khur investigates why the documents were not turned over to the National Archives when Mr. Biden left office, as required by law.
He can interview senior White House officials who also worked for Mr. Biden when he was vice president, and possibly Mr. Biden himself.
Meanwhile, the National Archives reportedly asked all former U.S. vice presidents to review their personal records for classified documents or other presidential material that should have been handed over when they left office.
It is illegal to knowingly or intentionally remove or retain classified material, although no current or former president or vice president has been charged with a misdemeanor.
A separate special counsel, Jack Smith, is investigating the discovery of classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, which the FBI ransacked in August.
This is breaking news and will be updated.
