Biden says he's ‘surprised’ classified documents were found in former office
Speaking at a press conference in Mexico City on Tuesday, President Biden said he was “surprised” to learn that any government records were in a private office he used after his term as vice president. Biden said he doesn’t know what’s in the documents and his lawyers “have not suggested” the president ask about the materials.
Video transcript
JOE BIDEN: People know I take classified documents, classified information seriously. When my lawyers were clearing out my office at the University of Pennsylvania, they set up an office for me, a secure office in the Capitol, when I, for four years after being vice president, I was a professor at Penn. They found some documents in a box, you know, a locked cabinet, or at least a closet. And as soon as they did, they realized there were several classified documents in that box.
And they did what they should have done. They immediately called the archives, immediately called the archives, turned them over to the archives, and I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there were any government records that were taken there to that office. But I don't know what's in the documents. My lawyers have not suggested I ask what documents they were. I've turned over the boxes. They've turned over the boxes to the archives. And we're cooperating fully, cooperating fully with the review, and which I hope will be finished soon and will be more detail at that time.
