That’s why I said “kind of”. Of course, the comedic aspect would bounce off the right into “See, we told you the president could do that!” But you have to admit that to those of us with functioning brain cells it would be funny.
Trump asked the National Archives if he could have the documents with his mind. They didn’t say ‘no’ so it’s all their fault he’s getting yelled at now.
After classified materials were found at an old office of President Joe Biden’s, aides discovered a second batch of classified documents at a location that Bid…
C’mon, man! Do better! This is just embarrassing.
The preliminary investigation, involving the FBI and the DOJ, has been ongoing for several weeks and is nearing completion. Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed and a preliminary finding is expected to be in his hands in the coming weeks, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Garland will face a decision about whether to launch a full-scale criminal investigation and whether to appoint a special counsel.
Seriously What The Fuck.
My question is would Biden have been responsible for personally packing up the office or checking the office that everything was removed?
A reminder: it is NOT against the law to accidentally move classified documents. If an investigation determines that such movement was indeed accidental, no charges would apply. (For someone still employed by a government agency, it’s possible that the incident would have a negative impact on career advancement. But that’s not the same as criminal culpability.)
Of course full investigation must continue. We already have indications that the misplacement of such documents by Biden or by someone employed by him was accidental: for example, the fact that the misplacements were reported immediately.
Of course all this continues to differ radically from Trump’s open defiance of the laws concerning classified documents, his attempts to obstruct investigation, his instruction to attorneys to lie about the matter, etc.
None of that will matter to Mr. Garland, sadly. I’m afraid he’s found his excuse to decline to prosecute Trump for his crimes relating to classified documents.
Beau explains.
Trump’s crimes are completely different. Yes, classified documents were involved, but even if it was just Sharpied weather maps and love letters from North Korean dictators he’d still be guilty of obstruction, lying to the government, mishandling Presidential documents, and various other crimes. That they were classified just makes it worse.
Biden’s just (maybe) guilty of being sloppy in his handling of documents, or at least in making sure that his staff handled them correctly. Embarrassing, but most likely not any kind of crime. I’m glad they’re investigating, though, because there are not different rules for different people. When it’s shown that the oversight was handled in the proper manner after it was discovered it can only highlight the difference in response between the two.
I would say yes. If for no reason than to clear Biden. But it’s serious business to have classified documents unaccounted for and improperly secured. If there was no malice, no crimes were broken, then great.
If there is no investigation because it might hurt Joe, then the DOJ really is partisan. (Assuming there is probably cause for an investigation I mean, you don’t run one “just for show”.)
I can’t imagine Garland not doing it though. The guy handled the Trump documents case like he was handling a 2.000-year-old scroll found in an unearthed tomb. If he was careful to avoid the appearance of impropriety then, I can’t believe he’d abandon that now.
Biden and/or his team say that they were reported immediately. Is there any outside evidence the documents weren’t moved intentionally, then when they were done with them, “Hey, look what I found!”
Ok, that’s unlikely, but I think we only have the attorney’s word that he didn’t look through the documents before reporting them, and only the attorney’s word that they were reported immediately upon being found.
They would have zero incentive to hold on to them knowingly for a while, and then report them voluntarily.
This would be true in any case, but given the bad optics of (mostly unfair) comparisons to Trump’s willful refusal to return his documents, it’s especially unlikely.
This.
With luck, Trump’s theft and hijacking will still count for something, and if Biden or his staff did anything wrong (such as sloppiness) there will be consequences too.
But more likely Trump just skated on his documents, and very possibly on everything else, or at least everything criminal.
If we are unlucky, this is the turning point that puts Trump back in the White House. And I mean “somewhat unlucky”, not “fantastically unlucky”.
You mean, like drawing breath?
Yeah, not good. Now the buzzword they’re all running with is “garage”.
Oh dear.
I guess next they’re going to find the mummified body of Ronald Reagan trussed up in an old trunk in Biden’s garage. That’ll seal the deal fer shure.
I don’t suppose anyone is going to bother searching Clinton’s garage or George W’s… Never mind.
Maybe Biden should just resign over this. Wouldn’t that make Republicans look foolish for continuing to defend Trump? 
(Just in case … I’m completely not serious. I know the MAGAtosphere would instantly use that to implicate Biden in every other imaginary crime they accuse him of.)
I can’t imagine what they would do if he even hinted at that. Do they want evil/liar/sleepy Joe who wants you to murder your unborn child and teach your kids that you’re a racist asshole or would the prefer he stepped down and let a black woman take over?
I need to be talked down off the ledge after reading comments about this on Reddit in a politics forum that leans Dem and where most people are always complaining about Trump. Even they are saying well, now Trump will definitely never be prosecuted for purposely stealing and keeping classified documents because you can’t prosecute him but let Biden off the hook for having classified documents, even though the circumstances are different. If you do prosecute Trump, he’ll look like a huge martyr. Etc.
There was never a time when that wouldn’t be the case. You do it anyway.
I like that Garland has put a Trump appointee in charge of the Biden investigation. It should help a little.