President Joe Biden sat down for two days for an interview with Robert K. Hur, the special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents from his time as vice president that were found in his possession.
White House spokesman Ian Sams said the “voluntary interview” concluded Monday.
Sams said in a statement:
The voluntary interview was conducted at the White House over two days, Sunday and Monday, and concluded Monday. As we have said from the beginning, the president and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation. We would refer other questions to the Justice Department at this time.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Hur to investigate Biden in January after the federal government learned last November Biden maintained possession of classified documents in one of his offices and his garage.
Classified documents were found on Nov. 2, 2022, in a “locked closet” in an office in the Penn Biden Center, according to special counsel to the president Richard Sauber. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The FBI began investigating Biden in November after learning Biden kept classified documents in his office at the Penn Biden Center. In December, Biden’s lawyers then informed the government of a second batch of classified documents found in his Wilmington garage, prompting Hur’s appointment as special counsel.
Hur’s interview with Biden comes after he has interviewed many of Biden’s closest aides and advisers, according to the New York Times.
As the Times reported:
Among them are Steve Ricchetti, a top White House aide, and Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, the people familiar with the case said.
Prosecutors have also spoken to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who has been a key Biden foreign policy adviser for decades; Ron Klain, who served as White House chief of staff until earlier this year; and Michael R. Carpenter, the former managing director of the Penn Biden Center, who is currently ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Mr. Blinken’s interview was previously reported by ABC News.
Robert Hur speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, July 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
The two-day interview with Biden suggests Hur is nearing the end of his nine-month investigation into the president.
In January, Biden said he was “surprised” to learn about the classified documents found in his possession.
“I was briefed about this discovery, and surprised to learn that there are any government records that were taken there to that office,” Biden said at the time.
“People know I take classified documents, classified information, seriously,” he added.
Hur’s investigation into Biden has played out while special counsel Jack Smith is prosecuting former President Donald Trump over his alleged mishandling of classified documents that were found at his Mar-a-Lago estate after he left office.
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