Biden administration finally offers to brief Congress on classified Trump, Biden documents

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

It’s been six months since the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago. Thanks to pressure from both Republicans and Democrats, Congressional leaders will be given a briefing on the classified documents found at the former president’s residence. The briefing will also include the classified documents found at Joe Biden’s home in Delaware and the Penn Biden Center. Members of both parties want information on the documents found in the possession of both presidents.

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The DOJ’s overreaction to Trump’s extended negotiations to return documents he is not entitled to keep did not end well. Republicans were handed a gift as they point out the unprecedented action. Now that Joe Biden has been found to have classified documents in his possession, too, Democrats can no longer take the high ground. Biden’s documents extend back to his days in the Senate. What in the world was a senator doing walking out with classified documents in his possession? And, as vice president, he didn’t have the authority to de-classify documents. Mike Pence is also in a dicey spot due to the appearance of classified documents found at his home in Indiana.

The FBI was happy to tip off the media about the raid on Mar-a-Lago and even staged a photo of alleged classified documents strewn across a carpeted closet floor for publication. If this was such a threat to democracy and so very dangerous to national security, why was the FBI allowing a staged photo to be published?

Biden didn’t receive the same treatment. His attorney disclosed that he found classified documents and turned them over to the National Archive. Then, over the course of many days, more classified documents were found, and still no visit from the FBI. Only last week was it reported that the FBI searched Biden’s beach mansion in Delaware. There was plenty of time to dispose of any evidence there. While many Democrats were busy justifying how great Biden handled his situation versus how horribly the bad Orange Man handled his situation, other Democrats realized that Biden, too, must be held accountable.

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A briefing may happen this week. Biden administration officials have declined to answer questions in public or private, citing ongoing criminal investigations. They also cite a risk assessment of possible damage to intelligence sources. The chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Turner, said he was notified about a briefing this week.

“This administration needs to understand we do have national security urgent matters,” said Turner, R-Ohio. He also called on the White House to brief him on the Chinese balloon shot down Saturday.

“What’s interesting is that the moment this balloon became public, I got a notice not from the administration that I’m going to get a briefing on this balloon, but they have to rush to Congress now to talk to us about Donald Trump’s documents,” he said, adding that a discussion of Biden and Pence’s records was expected to be included.

Three people familiar with the matter confirmed a congressional briefing was offered to the “Gang of Eight” — the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate and of both intelligence committees. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

Any briefing is not expected to include direct access to the documents that were seized, the people said.

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The administration would like to distract from its mishandling of the Chinese spy balloon by now allowing a briefing with top leaders in Congress on Trump’s papers. Squirrel! Now, however, it can’t just be Trump’s documents, it has to include Biden’s, too.

The Gang of Eight will also be briefed about the Chinese spy plane. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, promised a hearing in that committee about the balloon.

Staff will sit down with the “Gang of Eight” — the top leaders of the House and Senate from both parties — a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Fox News.

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California demanded the meeting after the balloon was discovered in US airspace.

“China’s brazen disregard for U.S. sovereignty is a destabilizing action that must be addressed, and President Biden cannot be silent. I am requesting a Gang of Eight briefing,” he said in a tweet Thursday.

This keeps happening. The administration that boasted that it would be the most transparent evah is only transparent when forced to be. The Chinese spy balloon was known to be in American airspace for days before the Defense Department bothered to brief Biden and certainly didn’t publicize it to the American public. It was only when a Billings, Montana news outlet broke the story that we found out about it. Who is in charge in this administration? It’s sure not Joe Biden.

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The raid on Trump’s home residence at Mar-a-Lago was an extreme overreach by an authoritarian administration. Biden, in contrast, has been given kid-glove treatment. The Chinese spy balloon was a test and the Biden administration failed miserably.

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