White House says it will cooperate with congressional document probe

WASHINGTON

The White House has informed the Republican lawmaker leading an inquiry into US President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents that it will cooperate with the probe.

Stuart Delery, Biden's counsel, said in a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer that the administration will follow "long-standing principles and policies first articulated by President (Ronald) Reagan in 1982, which have guided the Executive Branch’s response to oversight requests from congressional committees."

"We are reviewing your recent letters with the goal of seeking to accommodate legitimate oversight interests within the Committee’s jurisdiction while also respecting the separation of powers and the constitutional and statutory obligations of the Executive Branch generally and the White House in particular," Delery wrote.

"These considerations include the critical need to protect the integrity and independence of law enforcement investigations," he added.

Delery said the White House has "fully cooperated" with the Justice Department and National Archives in their investigations into the matter. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to oversee the Justice Department's investigation earlier this month.

The FBI's Jan. 20 "consensual search" of Biden's Wilmington, Delaware residence was conducted after the president's personal attorneys "offered to provide prompt access to his home," Delery said.

"Please note that the White House does not have possession of the documents that the National Archives and DOJ have taken possession of as part of this process," he added, referring to the Department of Justice.

That search turned up six more classified documents, which the Justice Department took into its possession, Biden's lawyers said Saturday.

"The president's personal lawyers at the direction of the President offered for the Justice Department to come to his house and conduct a thorough search of every room in the house to ensure that any material that should be in the possession of the government is in possession of the government," White House spokesperson Ian Sams told reporters.

Classified documents dating from the Obama administration were first found by Biden's personal attorneys at the Penn Biden Center on Nov. 2. An additional tranche was found at Biden's Wilmington residence on Dec. 20, his attorneys said.

Biden has maintained he has done nothing wrong, saying he has "no regrets."