Special counsel Hur says classified docs report doesn’t exonerate Biden

[RAY BOGAN]

Special Counsel Robert Hur, who investigated President Biden’s handling of classified information and declined to criminally charge him, defended his description of the President’s memory during a hearing with the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday. 

[ROBERT HUR]

“My assessment and the report about the relevance of the President’s memory was necessary, and accurate and fair,” Hur told the committee. “I did not sanitize my explanation, nor did I disparage the president unfairly.”

[RAY BOGAN]

Hur also had to fend off accusations of political bias. In a list of reasons as to why he decided not to charge President Biden for having classified documents in his home and personal office, one sentence has received more attention than the rest of the 388 page report combined. 

“We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” the report stated.  

[RAY BOGAN]

Democrats called that description gratuitous.

[HANK JOHSON]

“You’re doing everything you can do to get President Trump reelected so that you can get appointed as a federal judge or perhaps to another position in the Department of Justice,” Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said to Hur. 

[ROBERT HUR]

“Congressman, I have no such aspirations. I can assure you and I can tell you that partisan politics had no place whatsoever in my work,” Hur responded. 

[ADAM SCHIFF]

“You made a choice. That was a political choice. It was the wrong choice,” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said to Hur. 

[ROBERT HUR]

“What you are suggesting is that I shape, sanitize, omit portions of my reasoning and explanation to the Attorney General for political reasons,” Hur answered. 

[RAY BOGAN]

The Hur report noted that President Biden shared classified information with, Mark Zwonitzer, the ghostwriter for his books – “Promise me, Dad” and “Promises to Keep.” 

Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, speculated that could be a reason to keep the classified documents. 

[JIM JORDAN]

“Mr. Hur, how much did President Biden get paid for his book?” Jordan asked. 

[ROBERT HUR]

“Off the top of my head, I’m not sure if that information appears in the report,” Hur said. 

[JIM JORDAN]

“It sure does. There’s a dollar amount in there. You remember?”

[ROBERT HUR]

“I don’t. It may be 8 million,” Hur answered. 

[JIM JORDAN]

“$8 million. Joe Biden had 8 million reasons to break the rules. Took classified information and shared it with the guy who was writing the book. He knew the rules but he broke them for $8 million in a book advance,” Jordan said. 

[RAY BOGAN]

Republicans also claimed President Biden received more lenient treatment than Donald Trump, who also had classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence and is facing 37 charges including violations of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements. 

[MATT GAETZ]

“Biden and Trump should have been treated equally. They weren’t. And that is the double standard that I think a lot of Americans are concerned about,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said.  

[RAY BOGAN]

Democrats highlighted differences between the Biden and Trump cases. 

Zoe Lofgren

“The President allowed your team to seize and review all of the notebooks you found, is that correct?” Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., asked.  

[ROBERT HUR]

“That is correct,” Hur answered.  

Zoe Lofgren

“Now that’s in stark contrast to ex-President Trump’s case. He obstructed and diverted all the investigations,” Lofgren said. 

[RAY BOGAN]

Democrats also played a video montage of Trump making the same types of gaffes Biden is known for and repeatedly saying I don’t remember in depositions. 

They also contend that Trump was more careless with the classified documents found at his home, when compared to President Biden. 

Jerry Nadler

“We know that he stored that information around Mar-a-Lago in the craziest places – on the ballroom stage, spilled across the floor of an unlocked closet, next to the toilet,” Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said. 

[RAY BOGAN]

But when Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said the report exonerated the President, Hur interrupted to say it did not.