Special counsel appointed to look into Biden's handling of classified documents

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appointed a special counsel to review President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents.

Garland named former U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert Hur to "investigate whether any person or entity violated the law in connection with this matter."

"I will ensure that Mr. Hur receives all the resources he needs to conduct his work," Garland said in remarks announcing the appointment.

Garland said Biden's personal counsel on Thursday called U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch, who conducted initial investigations into the matter, stating that an additional document bearing classification markings was identified at the president's personal residence in Wilmington, Delaware.

"I strongly believe that the normal processes of this department can handle all investigations with integrity," the attorney general, who leads the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), explained.

"But, under the regulations, the extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter," he added.

White House special counsel Richard Sauber revealed earlier this week that "a small number of documents with classified markings" were found at one of Biden's former private offices in Washington, D.C.

The DOJ is also investigating former President Donald Trump's handling of a trove of classified documents seized from his estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in 2022.

The Presidential Records Act requires all presidential and vice-presidential documents to be turned over to the National Archives.