A trove of recently released emails has shed new light on the handling of classified documents connected to President Biden in a story that has remained largely under the radar until now.
According to the emails, the National Archives, in an operation carried out with precision and discretion, retrieved nine boxes of classified documents from a Boston law firm associated with President Biden in November 2022.
The emails, made public this week under the Freedom of Information Act, paint a picture of an operation unfolding quietly and swiftly in the backdrop of the 2022 midterm elections. On November 3, 2022, lawyers representing President Biden informed the National Archives (NARA) that the boxes had been transferred from the Penn Biden Center to the Boston law firm. A day later, NARA officials contacted the law firm to arrange the retrieval of the boxes.
From the emails, it's evident that NARA acted with urgency. The boxes were collected from the Boston law firm on November 9, 2022, and immediately relocated to the JFK Presidential Library in Boston, the closest secure facility.
The operation was carried out with the utmost discretion, as indicated by an email from a top NARA official sent on the night of the 2022 midterm elections. The email subject read “Urgent Matter,” and it emphasized the need for professionalism and discretion during the retrieval process.
A section of the email reads:
“On Wednesday, I will be asking you to send two staff to retrieve and then secure some materials from a law firm. This needs to be done with the utmost professionalism and discretion.”
The White House later confirmed that some of the documents in the retrieved boxes bore classified markings. However, the retrieval of these documents remained unknown to the public until January 2023. The revelation sparked a significant concern and led to the appointment of a DOJ special counsel to investigate Biden's handling of the documents.
The timeline of these events and the correspondence between NARA officials indicate a calculated approach to handling this sensitive situation. The emails detail the progression of the operation, from the initial report of the boxes' location to their eventual retrieval and safekeeping at the JFK Library.
The timeline is particularly noteworthy, with the retrieval operation coinciding with the 2022 midterm elections. This has led to many questioning the timing and the reasoning behind the quiet and swift operation.
The appointment of a DOJ special counsel in January 2023 marked a new stage in this unfolding story. The special counsel is tasked with investigating President Biden's handling of the documents, which could potentially have serious implications.
As the investigation continues, the released emails will likely serve as a critical source of information. The public, along with the investigators, will be following the unfolding story closely, expecting transparency and accountability.
While the contents of the classified documents have not been publicly disclosed, their existence and the circumstances surrounding their handling have stirred public interest and concerns about potential implications for national security and the Biden administration.
