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Wednesday 11 January 2023
GOP requests intel ‘damage assessment’ of Biden documents

Continued from Front Republicans have just tak- diate and proper action.”
en control of the House of “I have confidence that the
Biden ignored shouted Representatives and are attorney general took the
questions about the mat- promising to launch wide- appropriate steps to ensure
ter Tuesday during a bilat- spread investigations of the careful review of the
eral meeting with Cana- Biden’s administration. circumstances surrounding
dian Prime Minister Justin The revelation also may the possession and discov-
Trudeau in Mexico. complicate the Justice De- ery of these documents
Turner’s request came a partment’s consideration and make an impartial de-
day after the White House of whether to bring charg- cision about any further ac-
confirmed that the Depart- es against Trump, who is try- tion that may be needed,”
ment of Justice was review- ing to win back the White he added.
ing “a small number of House in 2024 and has re- Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio,
documents with classified peatedly claimed the de- chair of the powerful House
markings.” The documents partment’s inquiry into of Judiciary Committee, said
were discovered as Biden’s President Joe Biden speaks as he meets with Canadian Prime his own conduct amount- Monday that the American
personal attorneys were Minister Justin Trudeau at the InterContinental Presidente Mexico ed to “corruption.” public deserved to know
clearing out the offices of City hotel in Mexico City,Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. The National Archives did earlier about the classified
the Penn Biden Center, Associated Press not immediately respond documents.
where the president kept constitutional oversight ob- torneys have cooperated to a request for comment “They knew about this a
an office after he left the ligations,” he said. “From with the Archives and the Monday. Spokespeople for week before the elec-
vice presidency in 2017 until what we know so far, the Department of Justice in a Garland and Lausch de- tion, maybe the American
shortly before he launched latter is about finding docu- process to ensure that any clined to comment. people should have known
his presidential campaign ments with markings, and Obama-Biden Administra- Rep. James Comer, the that,” Jordan told reporters.
in 2019, the White House turning them over, which tion records are appro- new GOP chairman of the “They certainly knew about
said. is certainly different from priately in the possession House Oversight Commit- the the raid on Mar-a-Lago
“Those entrusted with ac- a months-long effort to re- of the Archives,” Sauber tee, said Monday that the 91 days before this elec-
cess to classified informa- tain material actively being said.A person who is fa- revelation raised questions tion, but nice if on Novem-
tion have a duty and an sought by the government. miliar with the matter but about the Justice Depart- ber 2, the country would
obligation to protect it,” But again, that’s why we not authorized to discuss ment’s handling of the have known that there
said Turner in a letter to need to be briefed.” it publicly said Attorney Trump probe. were classified documents
Haines. “This issue demands The documents were General Merrick Garland “Is the White House go- at the Biden Center.”
a full and thorough review.” found on Nov. 2, 2022, in a asked U.S. Attorney for the ing to be raided tonight? Jordan is among House Re-
Sen. Mark Warner, the “locked closet” in the of- Northern District of Illinois Are they going to raid the publicans pushing for the
Democratic chairman of fice, according to special John Lausch to review the Bidens?” he asked report- creation of a “select sub-
the Senate Intelligence counsel to the president matter after the Archives ers. “This is further concern committee on the Wea-
Committee, called for a Richard Sauber. referred the issue to the de- that there’s a two-tier jus- ponization of the Federal
briefing on the Biden docu- Sauber said the attorneys partment. Lausch is one of tice system within the DOJ government” within the Ju-
ments. immediately alerted the the few U.S. attorneys to be with how they treat Repub- diciary Committee.
“Our system of classifica- White House Counsel’s of- held over from Trump’s ad- licans versus Democrats, It wasn’t immediately clear
tion exists in order to pro- fice, which notified the ministration. certainly how they treat the why the White House didn’t
tect our most important na- National Archives and Trump weighed in Monday former president versus the disclose the discovery of
tional security secrets, and Records Administration — on his social media site, current president.” the documents or the DOJ
we expect to be briefed which took custody of the asking, “When is the FBI go- His Democratic counter- review sooner. CBS was first
on what happened both documents the next day. ing to raid the many homes part, Rep. Jamie Raskin, to report Monday on the
at Mar-a-Lago and at the “Since that discovery, the of Joe Biden, perhaps even said Biden’s attorneys “ap- discovery of the potentially
Biden office as part of our President’s personal at- the White House?” pear to have taken imme- classified documents.q

Judge tosses argument that Lee statue

vote violated law

an African American heri- A one-day bench trial is the Virginia Procurement
tage center that plans to scheduled for Feb. 1. Act gives the plaintiffs the
melt it down and turn it into An October gag order ability to question the bid-
a new piece of public art. bars parties from disclosing ding process. Peatross
The Trevilian Station Battle- the location of the statue, also rejected the city’s
field Foundation and the which was at the center of argument that Virginia’s
Ratcliffe Foundation are the deadly 2017 Unite the amended war memorial
seeking an injunction to Right rally. However, at- law prohibits private parties
stop the statue’s destruc- torney Richard Milnor clari- from suing governments
tion and relaunch the bid- fied at Monday’s hearing in that remove monuments.
Workers remove the monument of Confederate Gen. Robert E. ding process. The two or- Charlottesville Circuit Court “What’s the purpose of the
Lee on July 10, 2021, in Charlottesville, Va. ganizations’ bids for the that the statue that was statute if no one can chal-
Associated Press statue failed and the City taken down in July 2021 has lenge the actions?” Peat-
Council voted to give the not been melted down, just ross asked Milnor. “Who
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) violated an open govern- monument to the Jeffer- disassembled, The Daily can challenge?”
— A Virginia judge dis- ment law with its 2021 vote son School African Ameri- Progress reported. “No one,” answered Milnor.
missed an argument Mon- to give a statue of Confed- can Heritage Center, a lo- Judge Paul Peatross stood “That’s my point,” said the
day that Charlottesville erate Gen. Robert E. Lee to cal Black history museum. by his previous ruling that judge.q