Some of the classified documents and "surrounding materials" date back to Biden's tenure in the U.S. Senate, where he represented Delaware from 1973 to 2009, while others were from his tenure as Vice President in the Obama Administration, from 2009 through 2017.
DOJ Coordinates Search with Biden's Lawyers
The Department of Justice coordinated the search with Biden's lawyers ahead of time, and the President's personal and White House lawyers were present during the investigation, which lasted over 12 hours. According to the lawyer, the DOJ also took some notes that Biden had personally handwritten as Vice President. Neither Biden nor his wife was present during the search.
Previous Classified Documents Found at Biden's Wilmington Residence
This is not the first time that classified government records have been discovered at Biden's Wilmington residence. In November, classified documents were found at a private office he maintained at a Washington, D.C., think tank after ending his tenure as Vice President in the Obama Administration in 2017. The search shows federal investigators are swiftly moving forward with the probe into classified documents found in Biden's possession.
The Investigation Compared to Trump's Probe
Republicans have compared the investigation to the ongoing probe into how former President Donald Trump handled classified documents after his presidency. The White House has noted that Biden's team has cooperated with authorities in their probe and has turned over those documents. Trump resisted doing so until an FBI search at his Florida resort in August.
