On Friday, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and Congressman Mike Johnson announced an investigation by House Republicans into the bombshell discovery that President Biden mishandled documents retained from his time as Vice President.
#BREAKING: @Jim_Jordan and @RepMikeJohnson launch first investigation into @JoeBiden’s classified documents scandal. pic.twitter.com/sR8E5J2ZTd
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) January 13, 2023
Fox News reported:
The investigation led by Jordan, R-Ohio, comes one day after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to examine the matter, former U.S. attorney Robert Hur. The Justice Department escalated it to a special counsel investigation from a mere review Thursday after a second stash of classified documents was found inside the garage of Biden's Wilmington, Delaware, home. The first documents were found inside the Washington, D.C., offices of the Penn Biden Center think tank.
"We are conducting oversight of the Justice Department’s actions with respect to former Vice President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents, including the apparently unauthorized possession of classified material at a Washington, D.C., private office and in the garage of his Wilmington, Delaware, residence," Jordan and Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote in a letter sent Friday to Garland.
Both the White House and the President himself have refused to give clear answers on the unfolding scandal that seems to get worse as time goes on.
Biden smirks as he ignores questions on the classified documents found in his home, office, and garage. pic.twitter.com/FpBq4veWU3
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 13, 2023
Karine Jean-Pierre: “I’ve been in here almost every day…standing here taking your questions at length. So we’re not avoiding anything here.”
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 13, 2023
In reality, Jean-Pierre has refused to answer ANY questions asking for additional information on GarageGate. pic.twitter.com/9n0UtMhF3M
Professor Jonathan Turley explained:
“Nothing prevents the White House from answering basic questions about the scandal,” he wrote. “It will not undermine the Justice Department for the White House to confirm the President’s position and recollection. The silence protects the President not the investigation.”
He added: “I can understand the desire of a criminal defense attorney for Biden to remain silent. However, the refusal to answer basic questions is not to protect the ‘independence of the Justice Department’ or the investigation. It meant to protect the President as an individual.”
Unsurprisingly, the discovery of the classified Biden documents did not lead to a dramatic FBI raid like the one that was carried out on former President Donald Trump's home at Mar-A-Lago.
Bravo to House Republicans for hitting the ground running on conducting much-needed oversight of the Biden Administration.