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A "small number" of classified documents were discovered last week at former Vice President Mike Pence’s Indiana home, according to two letters Pence’s counsel sent to the National Archives obtained by NBC News on Tuesday. Pence's team “immediately” secured the classified documents in a locked safe, Jacob said. The transfer was facilitated by Pence’s personal attorney, who has experience in handling classified documents and was involved with the Jan. 16 discovery. Pence spokesman Devin O’Malley later told NBC News that “no potential classified documents” were found at the offices of Pence’s organization Advancing American Freedom after Pence’s team searched the offices and the former vice president’s home in Indiana. In a statement Tuesday, Comer said Pence reached out to the panel about classified documents found at his Indiana residence.

☆ Classified records pose conundrum stretching back to Carter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The mishandling of classified documents is not a problem unique to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. He contrasted that pattern for top officials to senators, who are required to retain classified materials in secure rooms at the Capitol. It's notable that Carter signed the Presidential Records Act in 1978 but it did not apply to records of his administration, taking effect years later when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated. Former President Bill Clinton's office said, "All of President Clinton's classified materials were properly turned over to NARA in accordance with the Presidential Records Act." The power to change or amend how classified documents are handled rests largely with the president.

☆ Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama say they have no classified documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Mike Pence are all facing classified documents controversies. Former presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama say they don't have any classified documents. Clinton's office similarly says, "All of President Clinton's classified materials were properly turned over to NARA in accordance with the Presidential Records Act." "NARA has never issued any such statement and is not aware of any missing boxes of Presidential records from the Obama administration." Biden, Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence are each facing controversies over the improper storage of classified documents.

The Department of Justice, which conducted a search that lasted over 12 hours, also took some notes that Biden had personally handwritten as vice president, according to the lawyer. The previous classified documents were found in the home's garage and in a nearby storage space. REUTERS/Al Drago 1 2 3 4The search shows federal investigators are swiftly moving forward with the probe into classified documents found in Biden's possession. Republicans have compared the investigation to the ongoing probe into how former President Donald Trump handled classified documents after his presidency. Since the discovery of Biden's documents, Trump has complained that Justice Department investigators were treating his successor differently.

The previous classified documents were found in the home's garage and in a nearby storage space. The search shows federal investigators are swiftly moving forward with the probe into classified documents found in Biden's possession. Republicans have compared the investigation to the ongoing probe into how former President Donald Trump handled classified documents after his presidency. Since the discovery of Biden's documents, Trump has complained that Justice Department investigators were treating his successor differently. going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?"

☆ FBI finds more classified documents in search of Biden home in Delaware
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Neither Biden nor first lady Jill Biden was present during the search, according to Richard Sauber, special counsel to the president. The White House only disclosed that discovery on Jan. 9. On Dec. 20, a small number of classified records were found in the garage of Biden's Wilmington home. Friday's search was the first time revealed publicly that federal law enforcement authorities have conducted a search for government documents at Biden's private addresses. Biden and the White House have been criticized for the two-month lag in disclosing the discovery of the first batch of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington.

☆ Trump boasts that Mar-a-Lago was a secure place to keep classified documents, despite evidence that it clearly wasn't
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Mar-a-Lago is a highly secured facility, with Security Cameras all over the place, and watched over by staff & our great Secret Service," wrote Trump. In the post, Trump compared Mar-a-Lago to President Joe Biden's "flimsy, unlocked, and unsecured" private residence in Wilmington, Delaware. This was recently spotlighted by the Justice Department investigation into the mishandling of classified documents and presidential records at Mar-a-Lago. The New York Times reported that of the more than 100 classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago, most were located in a non-secure storage area. During its August 2022 raid, FBI agents found classified documents in Trump's "45 Office" — located above Mar-a-Lago's main ballroom.

☆ The ways federal officials from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump — and now Joe Biden — have been accused of mishandling government records
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

President Joe BidenPresident Joe Biden speaks at the White House on January 12, 2023. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appointed a special counsel, Robert K. Hur, to investigate Biden for potential mishandling of classified documents. Another State Department investigation that lasted for three years and ended in 2019 found Clinton's use of a private email server put classified information at risk but that there was "no persuasive evidence of systemic, deliberate mishandling of classified information." Berger was found to have smuggled out highly classified documents, destroying some, and lying about possessing them. Lower-profile federal officials are more commonly chargedIn addition to former presidents and top White House officials, lower-profile federal agents are more commonly charged with mishandling government documents.

☆ Multiple Biden aides have been interviewed by federal law enforcement in classified document review
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Carol-Lee-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Carol E. Lee | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Multiple aides who worked for President Joe Biden in the final days of the Obama administration have been interviewed by federal law enforcement officials reviewing how classified documents ended up in his Delaware residence and a Washington office, according to two people familiar with the matter. One of the sources said that those who were asked to be interviewed by law enforcement officials complied "quickly." “The people who were boxing [up the vice presidential office] had no idea that there was anything in there that shouldn’t leave the White House,” the source said. On Thursday, the White House acknowledged that documents with classified markings had been found in a garage at Biden's residence in Wilmington, Delaware. No documents were found in Biden’s residence in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

While there is still much that is not known about the Biden documents, there are key differences between the two cases — as well as some similarities. Court papers show officials found classified documents in 14 of the 15 boxes, including 25 that were marked top secret. Justice Department investigationIn both cases, the Archives reported the discovery of classified documents to the Department of Justice. The FBI then learned Trump had not fully complied with the subpoena and still had more classified documents. McQuade posted on Twitter that the Justice Department prosecutes the mishandling of classified documents when there is an aggravating factor present.

☆ Biden 'surprised' about finding of classified documents, vows cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Biden told reporters at a joint news conference with the leaders of Mexico and Canada that he takes classified documents seriously. A Democrat, Biden has faced criticism from Republicans after his Justice Department launched an investigation last year into Republican former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents discovered at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Investigators tried to get Trump to return any remaining classified records through a grand jury subpoena and a visit to his Mar-a-Lago estate. On that visit, Trump's advisers returned a few dozen additional classified records, and attested that no other classified material remained in the residence. And as soon as they did, they realized there were several classified documents in that box.

☆ Biden classified documents: White House won't say why it didn't disclose earlier that records were found
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a bilateral meeting at the North American Leaders' Summit in Mexico City, Mexico, January 10, 2023. "Why didn't the 'Justice' Department announce the Highly Classified documents found in the Biden Office before the Election?" Trump wrote in a post on his social media site, Truth Social. U.S. President Joe Biden attends a news conference at Waldorf Astoria in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia July 15, 2022. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters"This discovery of classified information would put President Biden in potential violation of laws protecting national security, including the Espionage Act and Presidential Records Act," Turner wrote.

☆ The National Archives wants to release hundreds of pages of emails about Hunter Biden and Burisma — and the White House won't say whether it will let it happen
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

National Archives is set to release White House emails about Burisma, the Ukrainian company that reportedly paid Hunter Biden $1.5 million. The White House now has 60 days to decide whether to stop the release of the emails by invoking executive privilege. The Biden White House repeatedly declined to answer questions about whether it intended to fight release. The Burisma emails are, of course, only one of the many ongoing Hunter Biden controversies. House Republicans have promised to launch their own far-reaching inquiry into Hunter Biden's finances and tumultuous personal life, and some of Hunter Biden's allies are discussing ways to counter-attack.

☆ Trump's day of reckoning is overdue. Garland's special counsel move adds to the delay.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Michael Conway | Michael Conway Was Counsel For The House Judiciary Committee In The Impeachment Inquiry Of President Richard Nixon In In That Role | He Assisted In Drafting The Committee'S Final Report To The House In Support Of The Three Articles Of Impeachment Adopted The Committee. Conway Is A Graduate Of Yale Law School | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Attorney General Merrick Garland’s decision to appoint a special counsel to investigate former President Donald Trump is a miscalculation, with the main problem being timing. Despite assurances from Garland that a special counsel will not bog down the investigation, reality suggests otherwise. Not to mention that past practice demonstrates that the Justice Department has regularly shown that anyone can be held accountable — without resorting to a special counsel. No special counsel was used. I believe Trump’s day of reckoning is long overdue, and Garland’s overly cautious decision to appoint a special counsel may continue postponing that day.

☆ Trump encourages GOP to 'fight' special counsel decision as Republicans attack DOJ
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he has been "going through this for six years," referring to various investigations into his actions, including both impeachments and special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. A Trump campaign spokesman added that, "This is a totally expected political stunt by a feckless, politicized, weaponized Biden Department of Justice." Trump noted that the announcement of a special counsel comes just days after he announced a 2024 White House bid, which Garland said was a factor in his decision to seek an independent prosecutor. Asa Hutchinson, who has sometimes rebuked Trump, said in a statement that Garland's decision was "not good news for our country." Garland named John L. Smith, known as Jack Smith, a prosecutor at The Hague and a former federal prosecutor, to begin serving as special counsel “immediately."

Garland's decision to appoint a special counsel was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Given that Garland was appointed by President Joe Biden, naming a special counsel would give Garland more distance from the investigation into Trump, who could be Biden’s rival if the president decides to run for re-election. Trump was previously under investigation by former special counsel Robert Mueller, who issued his report in 2019 focusing on Russian interference in the 2020 election and Trump’s efforts to interfere with the Justice Department investigation. Garland said he was confident in the DOJ's ability to investigate Trump, but, "I also believe that appointing a special counsel at this time is the right thing to do. Garland added that he will ensure Smith “receives the resources to conduct this work quickly and completely.”

☆ Fact check: Trump responds to special counsel news with debunked claim about Obama and the Bushes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

They took documents with them. As NARA explained in an August statement, Barack Obama did not take the presidential documents Trump claimed Obama had taken. Again, it was NARA that took the Bushes’ presidential documents to facilities that NARA managed near the future locations of their presidential libraries. Trump’s claim about a bowling alley and restaurantTrump’s suggestion that past presidents’ documents were stored in an insecure manner is also false. Bush’s presidential documents were temporarily stored, in College Station, Texas, was indeed a former bowling alley connected to a former Chinese restaurant.

☆ Trump D.C. hotel receipts reveal $10,500-a-night rooms for foreign officials seeking to influence U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Anna_Byline.Jpg | Anna Schecter | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

For their part Qatari officials and connected companies spent at least $307,941 at the Trump hotel from late 2017 through mid-2018, according to the Oversight Committee’s findings. In the letter she requests presidential records from NARA that could be related to attempts by foreign governments and lobbyists working on their behalf to influence the Trump administration by spending money at the Trump Hotel. A spokesperson for the Malaysian Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the Oversight Committee, documents from Mazars show the Turkish Embassy sponsored two stays at the Trump hotel around the time of Erdoğan’s visit. The documentation obtained did not show how much the embassy spent at the hotel during either of these stays.

☆ Trump D.C. hotel receipts reveal $10,500-a-night rooms for foreign officials seeking to influence U.S. policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Anna Schecter | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The Saudi revenues for the Trump hotel came during a period when Saudi Arabia and the UAE were lobbying the Trump administration to support them during their blockade against economic rival Qatar. In the letter she requests presidential records from NARA that could be related to attempts by foreign governments and lobbyists working on their behalf to influence the Trump administration by spending money at the Trump Hotel. The Malaysian expenditures at the Trump Hotel were the most extensive in a one-week period found by the Oversight Committee to date. A spokesperson for the Malaysian Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The documentation obtained did not show how much the embassy spent at the hotel during either of these stays.

☆ Trump lawyers say he designated seized Mar-a-Lago documents 'as personal records' — DOJ says he can't do that 'simply by saying so'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump talks to the press on the grounds of his Mar-a-Lago resort on midterm elections night in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. November 8, 2022. Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are arguing that hundreds of documents that the FBI seized from his Florida residence are "personal" because he said so. But federal prosecutors say he cannot deem the records personal "simply by saying so." Those include the documents being personal or subject to executive privilege. In their filing last week, Trump's lawyers wrote, "The Presidential Records Act authorizes a sitting President to designate records as personal records during his term in office."

☆ Trump claims clemency requests taken by FBI from Mar-a-Lago should be returned to him
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump is claiming clemency requests that he received while serving in the White House as well as other documents seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago related to immigration initiatives are his property and should be returned to him. "For its part, the government categorizes those nine documents as presidential records," the DOJ lawyers wrote to Dearie. The letter to Dearie didn't provide specific details about those documents, such as who made the clemency requests. The federal government argued that the nine documents do not belong to Trump and are presidential records that should not be returned to him. The lawyers also rejected Trump's argument that personal records were taken by the FBI when they searched his Florida estate.

☆ Trump claims first batch of reviewed White House documents are his personal property in likely sign of further legal battles
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump is claiming several documents from his time in the White House are his personal property. The FBI seized thousands of documents during an August raid at Trump's Mar-a-Lago. The conflict likely signals further legal battles to come over the thousands of records yet to be reviewed in the DOJ's probe into whether Trump mishandled official White House records following his departure from office. Federal lawyers also rebuked Trump's allegation that the FBI took his personal records during the court-approved search earlier this year. "Personal records that are not government property are seized every day for use in criminal investigations.

☆ Trump's Chinese restaurant rant is an 'attack on the National Archives' says the former US Archivist who served under George H.W. Bush
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Trump last week said Bush stored presidential records in a former Chinese restaurant/bowling alley. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is located — that it leased from the General Services Administration, which is responsible for securing buildings for government operations. He was the first archivist responsible for transferring presidential documents under the Presidential Records Act of 1978. Trump's attacks on the NARA process of preserving presidential records, Wilson said, was a "great danger" to democracy. Bush Presidential Library and Museum did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Supreme Court Denies Trump Bid to Restore Special Master’s Review of Classified Documents
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court Thursday rejected without comment Donald Trump’s bid to restore a special master’s power to review some 100 classified documents federal agents seized from the former president’s Mar-a-Lago property. The move will allow prosecutors to proceed with what they say is the most serious part of their national-security investigation into Mr. Trump’s handling of presidential records taken from the White House.

☆ A Trump aide is talking to the FBI about the Mar-a-Lago docs, reports say, appearing to confirm suspicions of an informant
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The rumor of an informant in Trump's orbit was fueled by new reports Wednesday. WaPo and CNN said a Trump employee was talking to the FBI over the Mar-a-Lago documents. On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that a Trump employee had testified to the FBI of having been ordered by Trump to move boxes of documents to the former president's own residence in the complex. Those people, The Post said, described the witness as a Trump employee who is a key informant who had given multiple interviews to investigators. Some commentators, including aides, Trump's niece Mary Trump and former White House chief of staff under Trump Mick Mulvaney, have suggested that it could even be a member of Trump's own family.

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