(USNewsBreak.com) – Special Counsel Robert Hur released his report on Thursday, February 8, addressing classified documents found in President Joe Biden’s possession. In the 345-page document, he declined to recommend criminal charges but made several damning comments throughout. Now, he’s reportedly planning to testify before the House Judiciary Committee next month.
The Report’s Findings
The main takeaway from the report was that neither Biden nor his associates will face any criminal charges. This result differs from the case of former President Donald Trump, who prosecutors indicted on several charges related to the retention of multiple classified documents following his departure from the White House. Still, Hur said in his report that Biden was careless in his handling of the sensitive material, posing “serious risks to national security.”
However, Hur wasn’t as nice in describing Biden’s mental state. In addition to a shortage of evidence, the special counsel said the president was likely to “present himself to a jury … as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” However, he said Biden’s willingness to cooperate was a factor in not bringing charges. In the report, Hur noted that the president “turned in classified documents to the National Archives and the Department of Justice,” consented to searches of multiple locations, interviewed voluntarily, “and in other ways cooperated with the investigation.”
Biden’s Reaction
When the report came out, Biden held a press conference to address its contents. Appearing visibly angered at the podium, he spoke out about certain claims, including one in particular: the suggestion that he doesn’t remember his son Beau Biden’s death.
Media outlets soaked up the press conference, with Axios calling it a “vivid display of an elderly, irritable man struggling on a public stage.” The situation brings into focus Americans’ concerns about Biden’s age.
Testimony Before Congress
The House Judiciary Committee is still continuing its probe into Biden’s handling of the documents, and Hur is expected to appear to testify. According to sources familiar with the situation, he is scheduled to provide his testimony on March 12.
This presentation would not be the first time a special counsel has provided testimony for Congress following a Department of Justice probe. Robert Mueller did so in 2019 after releasing his report about the possible Russian collusion in the 2016 election.
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