On Thursday night, President Joe Biden held a press conference following the release of a report by special counsel Robert Hur. The report confirmed that Biden would not face charges over his handling of classified information prior to his presidency. However, the President’s response to the report raised several questions, as he made claims that were directly contradicted by the report’s findings. Here, we fact-check the President’s statements.
Storage of Classified Material
Biden attempted to differentiate his handling of classified material from that of former President Donald Trump, who is facing felony charges for retaining classified documents. Biden claimed that all classified documents in his possession were stored in locked or lockable filing cabinets. However, the special counsel’s report contradicts this claim, revealing that some classified documents were found in an unsealed and damaged box in Biden’s garage, alongside other household items.
Classification Level of Documents
Biden also claimed that none of the classified material he possessed was highly classified. However, the special counsel’s report found documents in Biden’s possession marked as “Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information,” a high level of classification. Additionally, handwritten notebooks from Biden’s time as vice president contained information that remains classified up to the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level.
Sharing of Classified Information with Ghostwriter
Biden categorically denied sharing classified information with his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, for his 2017 memoir, “Promise Me, Dad.” However, the special counsel’s report explicitly states that Biden shared information, including some classified information, from his notebooks with his ghostwriter.
While the President will not face charges over his handling of classified information, the discrepancies between his claims and the findings of the special counsel’s report raise questions about the accuracy of his statements.
This article has been updated with additional reactions. Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Nikki Carvajal.