Biden 'surprised' about discovery of classified documents and what he's said before
SARAH KOLINOVSKY, MOLLY NAGLE and ALEXANDER MALLIN
Wed, January 11, 2023 at 12:42 AM GMT+1
President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that he was "surprised" to learn that that any government records had been taken to a former personal office where classified documents were discovered in November.
For the first time answering questions on the revelation that surfaced Monday -- speaking at a North American Leaders' Summit in Mexico -- Biden said, "People know I take classified information seriously."
He defended how the discovery of the documents was handled, saying that he does not know the contents, and insisted his lawyers immediately turned the documents over to the appropriate authorities at the National Archives.
"When my lawyers were clearing out my office at the University of Pennsylvania, they set up an office for me, a secure office, in the Capitol, the four years after being vice president, I was a professor at Penn. They found some documents in a box, you know, in a locked cabinet, or at least a closet. And as soon as they did, they realized there were several classified documents in that box and they did what they should have done," he said.
"They immediately called the Archives, immediately called the Archives, turned them over to the Archives and I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there were any government records that were taken there to that office," he explained.
"But I don't know what's in the documents. I’ve – my lawyers have not suggested I ask what documents they were. I’ve turned over the boxes, they've turned over the boxes to the Archives. And we're cooperating fully, cooperating fully with the review, and which I hope will be finished soon and there will be more detail at that time," he said.
A source familiar with the matter told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega that Biden was made aware at the time in November.
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/biden-dodges- ... 00950.html