Aides to President Joe Biden have reportedly discovered a second batch of classified documents stored at a separate location, according to NBC News, which cited a "person familiar with the matter."
Reports emerged earlier this week that a lawyer clearing out Biden's office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington had discovered a set of classified documents which reportedly included intelligence on Ukraine, Iran and the UK. The documents were discovered in November and handed over to the government. The National Archives has asked the Department of Justice to investigate the matter.
The location of the second batch, as well as the number and nature of the documents, remains unclear, per NBC and confirmed by other news sources. The Biden administration says they had been searching for any misplaced classified materials following the November discovery.
Revelations of a second batch further undercut the White House's furious condemnation of former President Donald Trump over his alleged mishandling of classified materials. The FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago estate on Aug. 8, 2022, seeking classified materials he may have removed from the White House. Trump had previously complied with a subpoena and voluntarily handed over some classified materials before the raid.
Republicans have labeled the investigation into Trump as a partisan smear campaign, as has Trump himself. The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to create a subcommittee to explore the "weaponization" of the federal government, which Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan will likely lead. Said panel could conceivably review the DOJ's actions against the former president.
While Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to oversee the DOJ's Trump-related affairs, he has not done likewise for matters involving Biden, further infuriating Republicans who have seized on whistleblower allegations of political bias within the DOJ.
Republicans have pounced on the revelations, with Texas GOP Rep. Troy Nehls demanding Garland appoint a special counsel. House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., meanwhile, shared the NBC article with the quoted phrase "Totally Irresponsible," referencing Biden's condemnation of Trump after the discovery of documents at his estate.
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