In the wake of the Justice Department uncovering another batch of materials, President Joe Biden faced criticism on Sunday over his handling of classified documents from an unlikely source: Senate Democrats.
There are many unanswered questions regarding why Biden had classified documents from his vice presidency at his think tank’s Washington, D.C., office and his Wilmington residence, in addition to the circumstances in which they were found and how transparent the president has been. Even while pushing back against GOP attacks on the matter, top Senate Democrats expressed dismay over the White House’s handling of the situation amid the steady stream of document discoveries.
DOJ SEARCH OF BIDEN’S WILMINGTON HOME TURNS UP MORE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS
Asked if Biden has ceded the moral high ground on the issue after being publicly critical of former President Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified documents, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said that the president should be “embarrassed by the situation” and called it “outrageous” that either was in possession of such materials.
“Let’s be honest about it. When that information is found, it diminishes the stature of any person that’s in possession of them. It’s not supposed to happen,” Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, told CNN’s State of the Union. “Whether it was the fault of a staffer or an attorney, it makes no difference. The elected official bears ultimate responsibility.”
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), a critical swing vote in the Senate Democratic conference, condemned Biden over the document discoveries while on NBC’s Meet the Press.
“To put those in unsecured spaces is irresponsible,” Manchin said of Biden’s classified materials. “I think he should have a lot of regrets.”
“I say, whoever’s responsible — I mean, if I hold people accountable, whether it be my chief of staff or, you know, my staff that were doing this and I’m looking at — then I’m going to hold someone accountable, but basically, the buck stops with me,” he added.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who announced his bid for reelection over the weekend, told CBS’s Face the Nation that he couldn’t explain how classified documents from Biden’s Senate career could end up at Biden’s residence.
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“I don’t really know the answer to that question because I review classified material as a senator on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, but when I do it, it’s always in a classified facility where I don’t have access to the materials other than to sit there and read them,” Kaine told anchor Margaret Brennan. “So that’s why there needs to be this independent investigation and independent prosecutor.”
“How many documents are we talking about? Dozens? A handful or hundreds? How serious are they? Why were they taken? Did anyone have access to them? And then, is the president being cooperative?” Kaine continued, listing his questions. “And I think by all accounts it suggests that, yes, of course, he’s being cooperative, as anyone should be. But these are the reasons why this independent prosecutor and an investigation is necessary.”
