Biden’s Dispute with Special Counsel’s Report: A Detailed Analysis

On February 8, 2024, President Joe Biden disputed some of the findings in special counsel Robert Hur’s report on his investigation into the president’s handling of classified material from his time as vice president. The report, which concluded that no charges were warranted against the president, drew particular attention to Biden’s memory and his sharing of classified information with his ghostwriter.

During a White House press conference, Biden expressed his satisfaction with the report’s conclusion and highlighted several passages that stated he did not “willfully retain” classified documents. However, the president became defensive when questioned about the report’s assertion that he had shared classified information with his ghostwriter.

According to the report, Biden took notes during his tenure as vice president, some of which contained information related to classified subjects such as the President’s Daily Brief and National Security Council meetings. These notebooks were kept in his Virginia and Delaware homes and were used as reference material for his 2017 memoir “Promise Me, Dad.” The report stated that Biden shared information, including some classified information, from these notebooks with his ghostwriter.

However, Biden denied sharing classified information with his ghostwriter during the press conference. He explained that he had written a long memorandum to then-President Barack Obama advocating for the United States to withdraw from Afghanistan. Biden claimed that he had referred to the document as classified when he meant it should be private.

The president also addressed the report’s assertions that he had trouble recalling basic facts, such as the years he served as vice president and the year of his son Beau Biden’s death. Biden expressed frustration with the special counsel’s comments and insisted that his memory was fine and had not gotten worse during his presidency.

Biden’s press conference came after a five-hour interview with the special counsel, during which he discussed events going back 40 years while managing an international crisis. The president argued that the special counsel’s job was to decide whether or not to bring charges and that any other “extraneous commentary” had “no place in this report.”

The special counsel’s report also noted that the ghostwriter had deleted audio recordings related to the memoir after the special counsel was appointed. The FBI was able to recover the deleted files from the ghostwriter’s computer, but the government considered charging the ghostwriter with obstruction before ultimately deciding against it.

Biden’s dispute with the special counsel’s report highlights the complexities of handling classified information and the challenges of memory recall, particularly for individuals in high-level political positions. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in government and the need for clear communication and understanding between political leaders and investigative bodies.

Jordan Freiman is an editor and writer for CBSNews.com. He covers breaking news, trending stories, sports, and crime. Freiman has previously worked at Spin and Death and Taxes.

First published on February 8, 2024 / 9:22 PM EST

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