White House Refusing to Say if FBI Searching More Locations for Docs
Wednesday’s White House declined to reveal whether federal law enforcement officials were also searching for classified material during their criminal investigation of President Joe Biden.
The news comes after the FBI seized materials from Biden’s beach home in Delaware on Wednesday afternoon while conducting a four-hour search of the residence. Biden’s personal attorney claimed that the materials were not classified.
Ian Sams, senior advisor to the White House Counsel’s Office, was asked by a reporter if the FBI has conducted any searches of any other locations associated with the president that the administration is aware of.
“Look, I think we’re providing information as this goes on and answering questions about the search activities as they’ve been happening,” Sams said. “I don’t want to speak too much to the DOJ’s practices in an ongoing investigation. I can say, you know, that we have cooperated fully, though the president’s personal attorneys have provided information to DOJ.”
Sam tried to portray that the administration was being transparent about searches that have been taking place, however, it never disclosed that the FBI searched Biden’s former office at the Biden Penn Center back in November.
Sams later claimed that he didn’t want to “speak too much to the Justice Department’s decision-making and their activities.”
Q: “Has the FBI conducted any searches of any other locations associated with the president that you or the WH is aware of?”
Ian Sams, WH Counsel’s Office advisor, doesn’t say “yes or no.” “I don’t want to speak too much to the DOJ’s practices in an ongoing investigation.” pic.twitter.com/qVAPu8RiJD
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) February 1, 2023
Sams declined to answer the question about whether the White House thinks there are more classified documents out there that are connected to Biden.
Sams tried again to portray the administration as transparent, claiming it had offered transparency. “unprecedented access” to Biden’s homes and office. This claim is false, as federal law enforcement officers were involved. Prepared To have a judge sign off on the warrant to search the property.
Reporter: “Can you say confidently whether you believe there are more classified documents?”
Ian Sams, spokesperson for WH Counsel’s Office: “The Justice Department is engaged in an ongoing investigation.” pic.twitter.com/OSigCjf2rR
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) February 1, 2023
Sams was unable to answer the question about how many classified documents had been seized from the FBI.
Reporter: “What is the total number of documents bearing classified markings that have been turned up?”
Biden’s Spokesperson: “That’s a good question”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 1, 2023
Sams was unable to say if the White House informed the National Archives that they could no longer issue a press statement about the discovery classified documents.
NBC’s @PeterAlexander: “Did anyone at the WH at any point tell the National Archives in any form that they could not release a press release about the discovery of classified documents?”
Sams claims that he doesn’t “know anything about that” And to “ask the Archives” pic.twitter.com/ni0Uzs5wle
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 1, 2023
Sams was again asked about FBI searching other locations for Biden. Sams refused to answer the question.
NBC’s @PeterAlexander: “In my first question, you didn’t say, though–you couldn’t say yes or no whether the FBI [conducted any other search]. You just–can you say cause it was a yes or no?”
White House spokesperson Ian Sams “I gave an answer to that question.” pic.twitter.com/X9WUSP5S7L
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 1, 2023
Biden classified documents were first found in his former private room at the Penn Biden Center, an think tank in Washington, D.C., just one week before midterm elections in 2022. Since then, Biden’s attorneys have located more classified documents at Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, on multiple occasions: an unspecified number found in the garage on December 20, one document found in Biden’s study on January 11, and five more found in the study on January 12.
Federal officials confirmed two weeks ago that they found more classified material during a 13-hour FBI search of Biden’s home on January 20.
CNN reported last week that while Biden’s team claimed it was cooperative in dealing with the Department of Justice, federal investigators were prepared to get a search warrant if Biden did not consent to being searched.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed former U.S. Attorney Robert Hur — who served during the Trump administration — to serve as special counsel in the investigation after the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch, who was assigned to do an initial review of the case, recommended to Garland that a special counsel be appointed.
CNN described Hur’s investigation into special counsel as a “special counsel investigation”. “full-blown criminal investigation.”
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