US President Joe Biden interrogated in classified documents row
U.S. President Joe Biden
The White House announced on Monday (Oct 9) that President Joe Biden was "interviewed" as part of an investigation into the handling of classified documents discovered at his former private office and residence.
This probe, initiated in response to the controversy surrounding secret papers dating back to Biden's tenure as vice president, was led by Special Counsel Robert Hur.
"The president has been interviewed as part of the investigation being led by Special Counsel Robert Hur," the White House said in a statement.
The voluntary interview with the 80-year-old Democratic president occurred over Sunday and Monday at the White House, it was revealed.
"As we have said from the beginning, the president and the White House are cooperating with this investigation," it said.
The White House said it was also "being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation."
When were the 'classified' documents found?
The investigation revolves around documents initially found at a private think tank office in Washington in November 2022, with more documents discovered in Biden's Wilmington, Delaware garage in December 2022 and his home library in January 2023.
Former President Donald Trump, Biden's potential Republican rival in the 2024 US presidential election, faces a similar and separate trial for alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office.
In this case, Special Counsel Jack Smith accuses Trump of taking classified documents to his Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida and refusing to return them. Trump pleaded not guilty in June to charges related to unlawfully retaining national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements.
Also watch |Gravitas: Classified documents found in Biden's possession
Republicans have sought to draw comparisons between the Trump and Biden documents cases.
Additionally, Biden's son, Hunter Biden, is under investigation by another special counsel for potential tax fraud and illegal gun possession.
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