U.S. attorney - classified documents from Biden's VP term found at Biden think tank

[Cow Poke]

When papers are filed, they are usually separated by subject. That's kind of what filing is all about.

Well, we're not just talking about "papers" -- we're talking about Classified Documents. That's your first error.

When those files are packed into boxes, there is no reason to go through every document in any particular file.

Assuming, by "files", you mean the file folders and their contents.
The Classified Documents would be in Classified folders.
There is EVERY reason not to pack Classified Documents with shopping lists or favorite recipes.

But in order to be sure you find any classified documents, you have to go through every document in every file.

ONLY if somebody mixed Classified Documents with other stuff.

So it's possible to pack files into boxes, and know which files are in which boxes, without noticing any classified documents.

No --- Classified documents, by their very nature, cannot be filed with, and should NEVER be "packed up" with things that are not Classified.

[Cow Poke]

No - I choose being true to what I believe to be true.

And, therein lies the danger, because you also choose what you believe to be true.

[Ronson]

I think I see where this is going, Biden defenders are going to say that no one is to blame for these classified documents getting out.

You see, Biden stuffed the files that included classified documents, but he never took those files out of his Senate or VP office. Therefore Biden is blameless (assuming he did not pack the boxes).
Staffers took files without looking at the contents (only file headers) and put them into boxes, not knowing that classified documents were inside. Therefore the staffers are blameless (assuming they did not move the boxes)
Of course, the movers never looked inside the boxes or the files, they just moved boxes from Point A to POINT B. So they're certainly blameless (assuming they did not look inside the files inside the boxes).

Voila! Everyone can go home now.

[oxmixmudd]

There's a pretty good timeline of what has happened since November here, but I don't think we'll find out what happened before then until the investigation is complete. (And maybe not even then.)

thx!

[Cow Poke]

I think I see where this is going, Biden defenders are going to say that no one is to blame for these classified documents getting out.

You see, Biden stuffed the files that included classified documents, but he never took those files out of his Senate or VP office. Therefore Biden is blameless (assuming he did not pack the boxes).
Staffers took files without looking at the contents (only file headers) and put them into boxes, not knowing that classified documents were inside. Therefore the staffers are blameless (assuming they did not move the boxes)
Of course, the movers never looked inside the boxes or the files, they just moved boxes from Point A to POINT B. So they're certainly blameless (assuming they did not look inside the files inside the boxes).

Voila! Everyone can go home now.

Except, of course, for this pesky little thing called "Chain of Custody", as referenced in .

There is no legal mechanism for Classified Documents to go from the person authorized to have them - to a janitor moving boxes around or a moving company transporting them with non-classified files.

[Stoic]

except as we already shown, classified documents have special covers so they won't accidentally be mixed up with regular documents,

Yes, that's the intent.

and if removed from a SCIF have to be returned the same day for overnight storage. Not stuck in a file cabinet.

Yes, that's the rule.

[Sparko]

Yes, that's the intent.


Yes, that's the rule.

And who is responsible for making sure those rules are followed?

[Stoic]

I must be missing something.

You're saying that files were placed in boxes based on file headers and not on the actual document contents. If true, then staffers aren't to blame for the contents of those files or the boxes because they didn't look in the files.

Biden filled the files so he is responsible for the documents going into them. Correct?

I don't think we know who put the classified documents into the files. But yes, someone is responsible. One point of disagreement here is whether that person is criminally liable. The answer may technically be "yes", but in practice, that's not the sort of thing that someone would go to prison for (assuming it can't be proved it was intentional).

[Stoic]

why would it look worse?

It would look like Biden knew that they were classified documents that might be discovered and reported, so he chose to keep them in his possession.

If his having them was accidental, then they would be more likely to show up in such a large volume of documents than in the relatively small set that he had at home.

[Stoic]

And who is responsible for making sure those rules are followed?

Presumably whoever took them out of the SCIF. Though I suppose that responsibility would be transferred if he gave them to someone else who was authorized to have them.

[Sparko]

It would look like Biden knew that they were classified documents that might be discovered and reported, so he chose to keep them in his possession.

If his having them was accidental, then they would be more likely to show up in such a large volume of documents than in the relatively small set that he had at home.

You lost me. If they find more classified documents it could be from either him hiding them and forgetting, or accidental.

[rogue06]

The fact that classified documents from Biden's time in the Senate have been found at his home is sufficient probable cause for a search warrant to go through Biden's documents at the University of Delaware, though I doubt Biden will tell the FBI they can't search through those documents.

So a search by the FBI is certain, without reference to any conspiracy theories.

(Incidentally, it will look worse for him if no classified documents are found in that search.)

He, or maybe Dr. Jill, appears to be refusing to let the beach house be searched.

[rogue06]

So when Biden steps down, Kam is sworn in, who do you think she's going to pick for her VP? I'm going with.,..

Is Harris seriously wanting to "commit suicide" or have an accident?

[Stoic]

You lost me. If they find more classified documents it could be from either him hiding them and forgetting, or accidental.

If they do NOT find more classified documents at the University of Delaware, it becomes harder to argue that the ones at Biden's home were there without his knowledge.

[Cow Poke]

Presumably whoever took them out of the SCIF. Though I suppose that responsibility would be transferred if he gave them to someone else who was authorized to have them.

I think you don't really grasp the whole "chain of custody" requirement.