AP source: FBI raids Delaware as part of Biden documents investigation

WASHINGTON. In recent weeks, the FBI has raided the University of Delaware for classified documents as part of its investigation into the possible mishandling of sensitive government documents by President Joe Biden.

The search, first reported by CNN, was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the matter, who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The man did not say if anything was found.

The Department of Justice Special Counsel is investigating how classified documents from Biden’s days as vice president and senator ended up in his home and former office, and whether any mishandling was malicious or unintentional. Biden’s personal lawyers said in January that a small batch of classified documents had been found in his former Washington office a few weeks earlier, and they have since allowed the FBI to search several properties.

The university is Biden’s alma mater. In 2011, Biden donated his records of 36 years in the US Senate to the school. The documents arrived on June 6, 2012, according to the university, which released photos of numbered boxes being unloaded at the university along with blue and gold balloons.

Under the terms of Biden’s gift, the tapes must remain classified for two years after he retires from public life.

Biden’s Senate records would not be subject to the Presidential Records Act, although prohibitions on mishandling classified information would still apply.

The White House referred questions to the Justice Department, which declined to comment. The University of Delaware also sent questions to the Justice Department.

The university is the fourth person known to have been searched by the FBI following inspections of his former office at Biden’s Pennsylvania Center in Washington, where classified notes were originally found in a locked filing cabinet by Biden’s personal lawyers in November, and most recently his Delaware home in Wilmington and Rehoboth. Beach.

All of these searches were conducted voluntarily and with the consent of Biden’s legal team.

According to Biden’s personal lawyer, the FBI seized six items containing classified documents during a January search of the Wilmington home. Agents did not find classified documents on the Rehoboth Beach property, but did take some handwritten notes and other materials from Biden’s time as vice president for verification.

The Department of Justice is separately investigating former President Donald Trump’s possession of approximately 300 classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The FBI issued a search warrant for the house last August after months of resistance from Trump and his representatives to return the documents to the government.

The FBI also raided the home of former Vice President Mike Pence in Indiana last week after his lawyers said they found a small number of classified documents. Pence’s consultant said that during this search, another document with secret marks was found.