Classified docs in Joe Biden's private office reportedly included materials related to Ukraine, Iran

Sarah D | 12:37 PM on January 10, 2023

OK, so if you’re just joining us, here’s what’s been happening over the past 24 hours or so:

Classified documents from Joe Biden’s tenure as vice president were discovered November 2, 2022, in his private office at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, which, last time we checked, is not where classified documents are supposed to be kept.

As you might expect, President Biden doesn’t seem to be in any mood to discuss this recent discovery. In fact, he’s made it pretty clear that he doesn’t want to talk about it.

But, well, we really need to talk about it. Especially in light of new reporting on the contents of the classified docs in question:

Among the classified documents from Biden’s time as VP discovered in a private office last fall are US intelligence memos and briefing materials that covered topics including Ukraine, Iran and the United Kingdom, CNN reports https://t.co/wvopVKvX6X

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 10, 2023

For what it’s worth, CNN’s report reminds us that when Joe Biden has classified documents in his private office, it’s not as bad as when Donald Trump does it:

There are clear distinctions between the two classified documents cases involving President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump https://t.co/QmIE2flpov pic.twitter.com/697PtaYoM0

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 10, 2023

Two wrongs don’t make a right, but thank you, CNN for the ethics lesson.

pic.twitter.com/NaCaBQpIYV

— Tim Hicks (@UnchartedFather) January 10, 2023

Heh.

Now, perhaps someone at CNN — a journalist, maybe? — could take the next opportunity to press Biden or Karine Jean-Pierre or another knowledgeable member of the Biden administration on what CNN’s source for this story told the network. Because it seems even if there were less than a dozen classified docs in Joe Biden’s private office, it sounds like what was in those docs may have been pretty significant.