Washington, D.C. Immediate Release Thursday, January 12, 2023
Contact: Carrie Cole Carrie.Cole@mail.house.gov
I FOX NEWS: ROGERS ASKS IF CLASSIFIED DOCMENTS FOUND AT THE BIDEN CENTER ARE DAMAGED NATIONAL SECURITY
Fox News has published an exclusive story about U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, (Republican from Alabama), efforts to ask Ronald S. Moultrie and William K. Lietzau to provide information regarding classified documents at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. The letter is published as the White House confirms the classified documents found at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement.
You can read the entire story in Fox News.
Biden classified documents: Rogers questions DOD about whether improper handling of docs has caused ‘damage for national security’
Brook Singman
January 12, 2023
EXCLUSIVE: The Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Mike Rogers demands answers from the Pentagon about whether President Biden improperly stored classified information. Also, information on whether Defense Department officials are cooperating with the U.S. Attorney assigned to the review.
Fox News exclusively obtained Rogers’ letter after Monday’s revelations by the White House about classified records dating back to Biden’s tenure as vice president at Penn Biden Centre.
Fox News reported Wednesday evening that Biden’s aides found at least one additional batch of classified documents. They were kept in a different location than the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C., a place he used during his time as vice president.
Rogers wrote to Ronald Moultrie (Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security), and William Lietzau (Director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency), asking if they had been asked to cooperate in the investigation by John Lausch, the U.S. attorney.
Rogers, who is a Trump appointee, wrote Wednesday night that Lausch was appointed in 2018 to manage the Justice Department’s interactions and negotiations with Congress regarding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s “improper handling of classified information”. He stated that the material contained emails that she had found on her private email system that were classified at a higher level than Top Secret, as well as highly classified information that must be protected from unauthorized disclosure.
Rogers stated that Rogers and his agency “maintain special expertise to assess intelligence and counterintelligence threats made by individuals, and insight into the proper methods of handling classified material.”
Rogers wrote, “I write to inquire if you have been contacted by U.S. Attorney Lausch to review and/or conduct an independent investigation based upon your own authority.” Rogers stated that it was crucial to determine whether there has been any possible national security harm, especially to DOD equities.
Rogers stated that it was necessary to determine whether classified material in the closet could have put Americans in danger if revealed to individuals without the required clearance or need to access the information by those with malfeasance or worse.
Rogers stated that it was imperative that the Committee be informed about the nature and content of classified dates if they affect service members’ safety, DOD operations or the protection DOD assets.
Rogers gave officials until Jan. 25, to give a description of classified documents and their classification level. He also asked whether any material was provided or relates to the Pentagon or other defense intelligence agencies. Rogers also requested access control records to identify documents that were in Biden’s possession while he was vice president.
Rogers also requested a list from the Pentagon of those it has identified as having knowledge of the location of classified information at issue. This includes any DOD personnel and documentation regarding the transfer of records.
Rogers also sought information on the status of communications between Lausch and Defense officials.
Lausch led the investigation into classified documents that were discovered on Nov. 2, 2022 by the president’s personal lawyers.
Fox News learned that an investigation has been ongoing for several weeks and is now at “an inflection stage”.
Fox News was informed by a source that Attorney General Merrick Garland will decide the next steps.
While preparing to vacate the center’s office space, the attorneys discovered the documents in a locked cupboard. The president had used the center from mid-2017 through the start of his 2020 campaign.
Richard Sauber, White House Counsel, stated Monday that National Archives received notification of the findings. They took possession of the documents Nov. 3, 2022.
Sauber stated in a statement that the documents had not been the subject of any prior inquiry or request by the Archives. “Since the discovery, the President’s personal lawyers have cooperated with the Archives and Department of Justice to ensure that any records from the Obama-Biden Administration are properly in the Archives’ possession.”
Garland appointed Lausch as the reviewer.
These records were discovered months after an FBI raid at the home of former President Trump in Palm Beach, Florida. The FBI seized classified documents.
Biden criticized Trump at the time for not being responsible for keeping classified documents secret.
All documents from the presidential administration or staff must be submitted to the National Archives under the Presidential Records Act.
Jack Smith, an ex-assistant U.S. Attorney and chief of the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section, was appointed special counsel to investigate Mar-a-Lago records.
Trump launched his bid for 2024 White House in November and told Fox News that it was not going to cooperate with the special counsel investigation.
Trump posted on Truth Social Monday, “When will the FBI raid the many houses of Joe Biden? Perhaps even the White House?” These documents were not classified.”
