White House pressured special counsel Robert Hur that his report on Biden’s classified docs ‘should be economical’ – claimed it could threaten national security
Former President Joe Biden’s legal team exerted pressure on special counsel Robert Hur during the investigation into classified documents mishandling. The team, led by Biden’s personal attorney Bob Bauer and former White House Special Counsel Richard Sauber, urged Hur to be “economical” in his report, citing potential national security implications.
The correspondence between Biden’s lawyers and Hur, obtained through a FOIA request by Judicial Watch, revealed the efforts to influence the forthcoming report. In a series of letters in October 2023, Bauer and Sauber expressed concerns about the impact of the report on national security, emphasizing the need for caution in handling sensitive information.
The lawyers requested the opportunity to review and discuss the report before its public release, highlighting the potential consequences of the findings on foreign relations. They emphasized the need for an “economical” report that focused on essential facts for the charging decision, while excluding unnecessary details.
Despite initial resistance from Hur, the legal team persisted in their requests for pre-release access to the report in subsequent letters sent in December 2023 and January 2024. They reiterated Biden’s concerns about the accuracy and fairness of the report, asserting the President’s responsibility to ensure a proper public presentation of the issues.
Hur eventually relented and provided the required non-disclosure agreements for Biden’s lawyers to review the report. The legal team, including Bauer, Sauber, and others, were granted access to the report after signing the NDAs. Hur’s report was released the following month, with findings that described Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory” and declined to press charges against him.
The report highlighted Biden’s sympathetic portrayal to a jury, citing his age and memory issues as factors that could create reasonable doubt in a criminal trial. Despite acknowledging potential lapses in memory, Hur concluded that it would be challenging to convince a jury to convict Biden, considering his age and perceived mental state.
In summary, the released documents shed light on the behind-the-scenes efforts of Biden’s legal team to influence the special counsel’s report and protect the former President’s interests during the investigation into classified documents mishandling.
