The latest discovery of classified material at U.S. President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, highlights the long-term political and legal risk to the president from a rapidly unfolding investigation that could yield further damaging revelations.
Disclosure after disclosure last week about sensitive papers at Biden’s office and private residence embarrassed and undermined the president, his attorneys and spokespeople, who have argued that they’re handling it by the book. While they’ve claimed they took appropriate precautions, promptly informed the government and arranged the return of materials, they say they must weigh disclosures to the public against legal considerations.
But the decision to wait more than two months, until after midterm elections, to disclose the initial discovery of classified documents has fanned criticism of the president’s commitment to transparency that’s only grown as Biden and his team stumbled through the subsequent week.