Biden interviewed by special counsel in classified documents probe

President Biden sat this week for an interview with the special counsel overseeing an investigation into his handling of classified documents from his time as vice president, the White House confirmed Monday.

Biden met Sunday and Monday with special counsel Robert Hur, who was appointed earlier this year to handle the probe into classified documents found at Biden’s home and an old office.

“The President has been interviewed as part of the investigation being led by Special Counsel Robert Hur,” spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement. “The voluntary interview was conducted at the White House over two days, Sunday and Monday, and concluded Monday. 

“As we have said from the beginning, the President and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation,” Sams added. “We would refer other questions to the Justice Department at this time.”

The New York Times first reported that Biden sat for an interview with Hur.

Biden had said as recently as August that there had not been a request for an interview from the special counsel’s office. The interview with Hur marks a significant step in the probe, however, and is a sign officials may be nearing the conclusion of their investigation.

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Hur in January as a special counsel. Hur is investigating why documents from Biden’s time as vice president with classified markings were found at his Wilmington, Del., home.

Documents with classified markings were also found at a University of Pennsylvania office in Washington, D.C., that Biden used after the end of the Obama administration. Those documents were found by officials clearing out the office last November, but the discovery was not publicly disclosed until January.

Biden has maintained he did nothing wrong, and his team has repeatedly noted that his lawyers quickly notified and cooperated with the Justice Department after discovering the documents.

A separate special counsel had already been appointed to oversee the investigation into former President Trump’s mishandling of records after roughly 300 records bearing classified markings were discovered at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. 

Trump was charged in June by the Justice Department over his retention of those documents. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which allege he violated the Espionage Act and obstructed justice in taking classified records from his presidency and refusing to return them.

Former Vice President Mike Pence in January also disclosed classified documents were found at his Indiana home after conducting a search in the wake of the Biden discoveries. The Justice Department later concluded their investigation of the matter without any finding of wrongdoing.

Updated