Senate Intel Chair: “All Things Will Be on the Table” to Get Access to Biden and Trump Classified Documents
Both Republican and Democratic senators from the Intelligence Committee requested to see purportedly classified documents in President’s possession. Joe Biden Former President Donald Trump.
Intelligence Chairman Mark Warner Senator (D-Va.), said that senators might have to take drastic action in order to obtain the documents. “All things will be on the table” He stated that now, though he did not go into detail about what senators could do.
“We don’t want to get into a question of threats at this point. But we want to say this though: We have a job to do, it is our job to make sure that the security of our country is protected and that the intelligence that our country depends upon is not compromised,” Warner told Wednesday: Reporters “The notion that we have to wait until a special prosecutor blesses the intelligence committee’s oversight will not stand.”
Earlier this month, the Democrat senator expressed alarm after Biden’s lawyers confirmed he had classified documents from when he was a senator or vice president in his possession. Warner was also frustrated last year when his committee wasn’t granted access to review documents that were taken from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in August.
“Every member of the committee, regardless of Democrat or Republican, [was] unanimous in that this position that we are left in … until somehow a special counsel designates that it’s OK for us to get briefed, is not going to stand,” Warner spoke to ABC News. “And all things will be on the table to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Members of the committee held a two-hour meeting with Biden’s Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on Wednesday, they told reporters. Several of the members told the outlet that they might block Biden’s nominees and grind business to a halt in the upper chamber.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) also Reporters were informed that “there will be pain as a consequence” of the Biden administration’s stonewalling, adding he will “take every step I can” To block nominees or withhold federal funding.
The Epoch Times contacted the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to obtain comment.
“The administration is stonewalling Congress on the classified documents present at President Trump’s residence and President Biden’s residence and office, which is totally unacceptable,” Cotton spoke Wednesday. “The members of the Intelligence Committee—for that matter, the members of Congress have an absolute right to this information so we can make an informed judgment about the risk, if any, these documents have posed to our national security by being improperly handled,” He said.
“Until the administration stops stonewalling Congress, there will be pain as a consequence for them,” The Arkansas senator declared. “I’m prepared to refuse consent or to fast track any nominee for any department or agency and take every step I can on every committee on which I serve to impose consequences on the administration until they provide these documents,” CNN was informed by him.
Marco Rubio, vice-chair and senator from Florida, added that it was a second member. “cannot be that your answer is that we can’t tell you what was discovered until the special counsel allows us to,” reported ABC. “The information we’re asking for has no bearing whatsoever, that would interfere in no way, with a criminal investigation.”
Biden, whose documents dated from his time as vice president and as a Delaware senator, and Trump, who had been engaging with the National Archives over the records, are both facing special counsel investigations by the Justice Department over improper handling of classified materials.
During a presidential transition, records from each administration must be handed over to the U.S. National Archives. It is against the law to knowingly or willfully delete or retain classified material. If classified material is lost or stolen, it poses a threat to national security.
Other Findings
A lawyer for former Vice President Mike Pence this week confirmed that classified materials were found at Pence’s Indiana home this week. Trump expressed praise for the discovery, writing that Pence is “a great guy.” “an innocent man.”
“Mike Pence is an innocent man. He never did anything knowingly dishonest in his life. Leave him alone!!!” Trump wrote Truth Social Tuesday
When asked by Reuters about classified documents and searches, a spokesman for President Barack Obama said that his office had been granted access to search records. “clean bill of health” The National Archives.
George W. Bush’s administration “turned all Presidential records over—both classified and unclassified—upon leaving the White House,” Freddy Ford, Bush’s spokesman, spoke to Reuters
White House Response
It was revealed that Biden had classified documents. This revelation has prompted a series of letters from House Republicans who demanded information from federal agencies about the investigation and what was discovered.
This week, White House counsel Stuart Delery wrote to House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) that the administration doesn’t have possession of documents found at Biden’s home or office in recent weeks.
“The Biden Administration takes seriously the security and protection of government records, particularly classified information,” Delery wrote a letter. “We look forward to engaging in good faith with you and your staff regarding your requests. To that end, White House staff will reach out to Committee staff to arrange a time to discuss this matter.”
This report was compiled by Reuters
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